Showing posts sorted by date for query lamb. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query lamb. Sort by relevance Show all posts
As most of you know I recently spent some time in Liverpool, the cultural centre of the North West here in the UK. Founded as a borough in 1207 and granted city status in 1880, it is a city of great diversity and culture. Chances are, if your ancestors immigrated to North America from Northern Europe, they left from the Liverpool Docks. It is a city with amazing history and talent, having spawned the British Invasion of Pop Music, with the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black, and Billy Fury amongst others.
Inhabitants of Liverpool are referred to as Liverpudlians but are also colloquially known as "Scousers", in reference to the local dish known as "scouse", a form of stew. I think it is a term of affection really. Our small community we live in here at the outskirts of Chester is filled with "Scousers." I just love their accent! At first I found it a bit hard to understand or make out what they were saying if they were speaking really quickly, but I am happy to say that most of the time I no longer have a problem with it.
Scouse was brought to Liverpool by Northern European sailors, it was originally called Labskause. This was finally shortened to Skause and over time the spelling changed to the more Anglicised version we have today, Scouse.
Scouse holds a place in the heart of most Liverpudlian's as the taste of their hometown and is still regulary eaten today by a great number of families. After spending the day there on Monday past (and the Monday before! tee hee) I thought I would honor my visit by preparing this very Liverpudlian Traditional dish for the Toddster.
He said he had had it in the past, but thought mine was the best he'd ever had. Apparently he hadn't enjoyed it those previous times. He is a man that likes a good and thickish gravy with his stews and the other's had been watery. Mine was in no way watery at all. It had a lovely flavour and a nice thick gravy. I do believe this is a winning recipe! I hope you'll try it. I can probably say with plenty of authority that the Beatles were weaned on this dish! I loved it, yeh , yeh, yeh!
*Scouse*
Serves 4 to 6 people
I cannot take credit for this recipe. It is one I found online. Scouse is a traditional dish hailing from Liverpool. Essentially it is a lamb/beef and vegetable stew. Deliciously simple!
half a pound of stewing steak, cut into large cubes
half a pound of lamb breast, cut into large cubes
1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks
1 pound of carrots, peeled and coined
4 pounds of potatoes
2 Oxo cubes
2 tsp vegetable oil
Worcester sauce
salt and pepper to taste
water
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the meat and brown it lightly all over. Add some Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Add the onion on top. Layer the carrot coins on top of this. Peel and finely chop 1 pound of the potatoes and place this on top of the carrots. Fill the pan half full of cold water. Crumble the stock cubes over top. (Oxo). Cover tightly. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. In time the onion will start to break up and the potato will become soft and make the final sauce thick.
At the end of two hours, peel the remainder of the potato and chop roughly. Add along with a few more splashes of Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer for 2 more hours. Serve piping hot with red cabbage, pickled beetroot, pickled onions and crusty bread!
Note: I added some chopped swede and finely chopped turnip. I also added some summer savory because I like that in a stew!
Do you remember these delicious Crusty Lasagna Buns? Tasty meaty lasagna sauce, stuffed into a bun, slathered with cheese and baked until the cheese oozes and the sauce is bubbling up. Oh so good with a salad on the side. Nom! Nom!
I got to thinking about those today and the wheels started turning and then the light went on. I thought, how about a Crusty Shepherd's Pie Bun??? Doesn't that sound scrummy! It does to me too!
You know there is a huge difference between Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie. Most people seem to think they are interchangeable, but they really are not.
Shepherd's Pie = Lamb (Which only makes sense as Shepherds take care of sheep!)
Cottage Pie = Beef (So called for that lovely "Thatch" of potato which covers it!)
So anyways, I decided to create a delicious Shepherd's Pie bun with a delicious lamb filling on the bottom, topped with vegetables and creamy mash, stuffed into a crusty bun and then covered with some grated strong cheddar cheese, then baked until it's all bubbling and golden brown.
Sounds scrummy eh? I'll let you in on a secret. It was. ☺
*Shepherd's Pie Buns*
Serves 4
One
of your favourite family dinners in a bun. Deliciously different, with
a tasty meat filling of minced lamb, topped with vegetables and a
fluffy mash, sprinkle with cheese and baked in a crusty bun.
For the meat layer:
1 TBS oil
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and grated
1 stick of celery, trimmed and minced
1 sprig of fresh thyme
375g (about 3/4 pound) of minced lamb
60ml of red wine (1/4 cup)
1 TBS tomato ketchup
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 lamb bouillion cube, crumbled
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 pound of large floury potatoes (In the UK a Maris Piper is ideal, in North America
I would use a russet or idaho)
2 ounces unsalted butter (1/4 cup, or one half stick)
fine seasalt, freshly ground pepper and freshly grated nutmeg
4 large crusty buns
a handful of grated strong cheddar cheese
Heat the oil for the meat layer in a large saucepan. Add the vegetables and thyme, and cook over about 8 minutes over low heat, stirring from time to time, until glossy and beginning to soften. Add the lamb mince and increase the heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat changes colour and separates. Add the wine, ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce, crumbled bouillion cube and some salt pepper to taste. Simmer over a low heat for 15 to 20 miknutes. It should still be somewhat juicy. If it isn't add a bit of broth. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed. Keep warm.
Peel and quarter the potatoes then place the potatoes into a pot of lightly salted water to cover. Bring to the boil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until fork tender. Drain well in a colander and then return them to the hot pot. Cover with the lid and give them a good shake, which will help to break them up. Add the butter and warmed cream or milk, adding the latter a little at a time, whilst mashing the potatoes, only adding as much as is needed to give you the correct consistency. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. The potatoes should be light, fluffy and creamy. Keep warm.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and everything is piping hot. Serve immediately.
Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin. This is a delicious Parmesan Crusted Pork tnderloin keto friendly way of cooking a nice piece of meat. We actually don't eat a lot of red meat in this house.
In fact, it is a very rare thing. I am inclined to eat less and less of it these days, but . . . when I do, I try to make it a treat.
And so, when we do have it we will indulge ourselves with a nice steak, or a good roast . . . some nice pork or lamb chops, or . . . as in this recipe here today . . . the filet mignon of the pork kingdom, a good free range Pork fillet, as it is called over here, or Pork Tenderloin in North America.
This is a cut of pork that comes from the loin, the eye fillet. It is a lazy muscle, which means it is very tender and lean.
It can also be somewhat lacking in flavour when compared to the shoulder or the leg, but it also provides a beautiful canvas (much like the chicken breast) for you to paint upon it with lucious combinations of flavours in the shape of special rubs or sauces.
It also means that it is easily prone to drying out and so great care must be taken not to over cook it. I believe in this modern age it is quite acceptable to cook the tenderloin just until it is pink inside.
You will come to no harm. Remove any tough white membrane or sinew from the outside of the loin
before cooking (easily done with a sharp knife.), or the silverskin as it is known.
There is a great tutorial on how to do that with photographs, here.
If roasting a whole loin, stuffing it will help keep it
moist (prunes, apples, mushrooms, blue cheese are all good stuffing
ingredients) as will a splash of liquid added to the roasting tin (wine,
cider or stock all work well).
Cut into slices (medallions) or strips,
pork fillet can be pan-fried in a matter of minutes. Really, do take care not to over cook it and dry it out.
Today I coated it with a simple herb and cheese crust, along with some olive oil. It was cooked in a mere 30 minutes.
Whilst it was cooking I created a delicious Green Olive and Lemon Sauce to serve spooned over top of those tender slices of pork.
It made a change from gravy. It was so delicious. This is truly Dinner Party Fare, so you will want to book mark it for one of those special occasions!
What's nice about it too, is that it is quick and very easy to prepare and has such a lovely presentation. Enjoy!
*Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin*
with aGreen Olive and Lemon Sauce
For the sauce heat the olive oil in a shallow pan. Add the shallot and soften, stirring frequently. Add the chicken stock or wine and bring to the boil. Reduce by 1/2. Whisk in the lemon juice and olives. Taste and adjust seasoning. Tip any juices accumulated into the roasting pan into the sauce and whisk in.
Serve the pork cut into 1/2 inch slices with some of the sauce spooned over top.
I like to serve this with mash and a green vegetable.
This was absolutely lovely. Sometimes I make myself very proud of what I have done. Forgive me for my lack of humility on this occasion! Sometimes what I do even amazes me. I love it when that happens.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
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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.
I don't know about you, but I am right in love with the Joseph Joseph line of cooking and baking utensil products. They are always such fun and in such brilliant colours! I could spend hours looking at all of the line which is available at our local Garden centre, and often do to Todd's chagrin, but then . . . I don't complain when he spends hours looking at man stuff . . . ok . . . so maybe I do a little bit . . .
I have a huge wish list of wants from Joseph Joseph so when I was recently contacted by Find Me A Gift and asked would I like to try out their new 4 piece baking set, I jumped at the chance! It was like all of my Christmas's Birthdays, Anniversaries had come at once! Lucky moi!
Included in the set are a very uniquely elevated pastry brush and spatula, which have weighted handles and really cool integrated tool rests, which help to keep the mess up off the table.
There is also an unusually shaped one hour baking timer, in bright pink, which I found really easy to use.
The thing I loved the most though, is this fabulous rolling pin. Made of beech it is adjustable, with three sets of removable discs which allow you to roll out your pastries, biscuits and other doughs to three different heights, with the measurements showing in both inches and millimeters!
This allows you to roll things out to an exactness which removes any guesswork! I found the discs really easy to change as they are quite simply held in place with a kind of screw thingie. As easy to use as nuts and bolts!
There are other measurements printed on the actual rolling pin as well, which easily help you to measure out whatever it is you are rolling, eg 12" round, 15" rectangle, etc. These are also in both measurements. I love this rolling pin . . . I absolutely love it.
Of course I could not wait to put it all to good use.
I just adore Samosas. When my oldest son was at Uni, I often would stop at the local market on a Saturday morning and pick up some samosas for us to share. He loves them too. I would ring the doorbell to his flat and when he answered the intercom, I would reply . . . "Speedy Samosa Delivery!" He never failed to let me in. Samosas are Indian snack food/appetisers . . . kind of like little curry turnovers. You can get veggie ones, or lamb ones. (My friend Joy makes fabulous lamb ones!) Most usually they are fried. Beautifully spiced and flavoured.
It isn't much of a stretch really to incorporate those flavours into a tasty pie. I had some leftover roasted chicken that needed using up and I thought a chicken pie would be nice . . . and then I thought, why not a Samosa pie. Win/win!
The crust is just lightly spiced with a bit of cumin and uses butter, so it's rich and beautifully coloured. Sturdy enough to stand up to the hearty filling, and yet flake, flake, flaky!
The filling contains the most usual samosa fillings . . . tender pieces of potato and onion, garlic, some cooked carrot, baby peas . . . cooked chicken . . .
Beautifully flavoured with a tasty mix of aromatics and spice . . . coriander, ginger, fennel, cumin, mustard, fenugreek, tumeric (for colour) and cayenne for some heat, this tasty pie pleases on many levels, both sight, smell and taste . . . and with picnic season having arrived it would make a great pie to take on a picnic. I served it simply . . . with some salad and mango chutney on the side. Deeeeeeeee-licious!
*Chicken Samosa Pie*
Serves 8
Your favourite Indian snack in a dinner pie! Couldn't be easier or tastier!Serves 8
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced (2 large)
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 TBS vegetable oil
2 cups of chopped cooked chicken
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp brown or black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 TBS grated fresh ginger root
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS chopped fresh coriander leaves
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
For the pastry:
For the pastry:
250g of plain flour (2 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp salt
150g cold butter, cubed (2/3 cup)
160ml of milk (2/3 cup)
1 egg beaten, to glaze the pie with
First
make the pastry. Sift the flour into a bowl. Whisk in the salt and
cumin seed. Drop in the butter. Rub it in with a pastry blender or
your finger tips until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the milk
and stir with a fork to form a dough. Divide in two and shape each into
a round flat disc. Wrap in plastic cling film and chill while you are
making the filling.
Place the potato and carrot into a
pot of lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and cook until tender,
about 10 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl. Heat the oil over
medium heat. Add the chopped onion. Saute to soften. Add the seeds
and stir fry until very fragrant. Tip in the salt, cayenne pepper,
garlic and ginger root. Cook and stir for about a minute. Add the
cooked chicken, frozen peas, coriander leaf, and lemon juice. Taste
and adjust seasoning as desired. Allow to cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.
Roll
out one disc of the pastry to a 1/8 inch thickness round, large enough
to line a 9 inch pie dish, with some overhang. Spoon the cooled chicken
filling into the crust. Roll out the other disc of pastry to 1/8 inch
thickness, making it large enough to cover the filling with some
overhang. Brush some beaten egg on the edges of the bottom overhang
and top with the other round of pastry to cover. Press the edges
closed. Trim off with a sharp knife and flute the edge decoratively.
Brush the top of the pie all over with some beaten egg. Cut some vents
in for steam. Bake on the bottom rack of the preheated oven for 50 to
60 minutes, until golden brown and tasty!
Cut into wedges to serve. Mango chutney is a good go-with!This delightful Joseph Joseph Baking Set usually retails for up to £40 at most shops but you can get it right now on Find Me A Gift for the low price of only "29.99!" That's a real steal!
Many thanks to Find Me A Gift and the lovely Emma for sending this to me! (Psst! With Father's Day coming up soon you should really check out the Find Me A Gift site. They have ooodles of nice things to choose from on there to suit every price range. They even have a really cool gift finger personal shopper page, which you can find here!)
One of the things I love most about the food blogging world is that you get to touch base with food bloggers from ALL over the World! I think that's pretty cool. It makes the world . . . well . . . not so big a place, and it opens up your palate to all sorts of variety and possibility. At least that's my theory.
I was contacted recently and asked if I would be willing to participate in an activity to help to promote the launch of a new cookery book by one of the world's best food photographer/food bloggers Jules Clancy of the popular food blog Stone Soup. As a part of this activity I was asked to submit an ingredient which she could give me some recommendations for cooking quickly and deliciously.
The Stone Soup Blog is all about cooking fresh, healthy and delicious meals that can be cooked with 5 ingredients and in 10 minutes or less.
I asked Jules about Swede. I love Swede, or Rutabaga as it is known in North America and probably other parts of the world. We always called it turnip when I was a child, but that was a misnomer. It is a member of the brassica family, but it's not a turnip per se. In any case we love them in this house. Here was Jule's advice to me . . .
SWEDES
I'll be honest, swedes aren't my favourite vegetable. I usually only buy them once or twice a year when I feel like making a huge pot of my Mum's lamb and veggie soup or making a mixed root veg stew.
Given that they take at least half an hour or longer to cook, they really didn't get a look in when I was planning recipes for my book '5 Ingredients 10 Minutes'. But if you love swedes and would like to include them in your midweek cooking more often, the best thing to do is to cook them on the weekend. Just scrub and dice and roast in a little oil until golden. Then keep in the fridge to throw into soups like the simple minestrone in my book.
The roast cubes can also be quickly warmed in a pan to make warm salads more substantial. They're also great in any dishes involving lentils or eggs or cheese. Try using your diced roast swede to add bulk to a frittata or omelette or even scrambled tofu. Or make your favourite pasta bake recipe a bit healthier by replacing some of the cooked pasta with roast swede cubes.
I agree, they can take some length of time to cook, and I appreciated Jules advice to roast or cook it ahead of time, at the weekend, so that you can have some ready to add to soups, salads, omelettes, etc. I personally have a pretty quick way of cooking it myself, which is quite, quite delicious. I simply grated it on the large holes of a box grater and then pan fry it in a bit of butter. It's done pretty quickly and is absolutely delicious. Tis a trick I learned from a Canadian Mennonite.
I do love Jule's book. It's got a fresh clean look to it and peppered throughout with her beautiful food photography. All of the recipes are nicely written and quite doable! And yes, quick . . . Quick . . . QUICK!
Recipes for tasty spreads and dips such as this simply beautiful looking warm Cannellini Bean Spread with Parmesan . . .
to the unusual . . . like this Cream Cheese, Honey and Soy Crostini. Now tell me that's NOT appealing and intriguing! The picture alone begs me to create it and the ingredients list . . . simply crusty baguette slices, cream cheese, honey and . . . well . . . soy sauce! It could not be simpler.
But that's not all . . . there is also a beautiful variety of delicious looking and sounding soups . . .
Tasty and beautiful looking salads . . .
Quick easy, fresh and colourful pasta dishes . . .
A variety of mains using meat, fish and poultry . . .
And even fresh and delicious desserts.
And . . . all of the recipes use five ingredients or less and are easily created in just ten minutes or less. One of the main excuses people use today for not eating healthy is that they don't have the time to cook healthy meals . . . this delightful cookery book blows that theory right out of the water . . . it is indeed possible to cook fresh and delicious food, using healthy fresh ingredients in not an awful lot of time!
I was personally intrigued by her recipe for Crunchy Bread Pudding. We love bread pudding in this house, especially the Toddster. Too often though the recipes make far too much and most of it ends up being thrown away because it just doesn't get eaten in time. Was it possible to make a delicious bread pudding in ten minutes or less??
Yes. It is and I did.
*Crunchy Bread Pudding*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe
Take care to watch while it is baking as it can burn very quickly if you take your eyes off it for even a second.
60g caster sugar (I used golden about 1/4 cup)
125ml whipping cream (1/2 cup double cream)
1 large free range egg
2 thick slices of bread, cut into cubes
cream or ice cream to serve
Preheat your oven grill to it's hottest setting. Line a large baking tray with some aluminum foil. Spray it lightly with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Whisk the sugar, cream and egg together in a bowl. Add the bread cubes and squash them into the mixture, allowing it to soak up as much of it as possible. Spread the soaked bread onto the prepared baking tray.
Cook under the heated grill for about 5 minutes. Turn the cubes over and grill for another 3 minutes or so until golden brown.
Divide the cubes between two small bowls and serve with cream or ice cream.
Note: you can use coconut cream instead of the whipping cream and egg to make this dairy-free/vegan; or use a gluten free bread for a gluten free version, you can add cinnamon to give a spiced flavour, or replace the crea, sugar and egg with a commercial egg free custard for an egg-free version.
Another thing I like about Jules' recipes is that there are many variations included for most of them which give you the opportunity to charge things up. There are also 10 minute tricks of the trade, etc.
All in all I think this book is a real winner and will take pride of place on my book shelf.
Many thanks to the people from Penguin and Jules for sending it to me.
5 ingredients 10 minutes
delicious, healthy recipes for tired and hungry cooks
by Jules Clancy
Published by Penguin books
ISBN 978-0-718-15874-3
U.K. £14.99
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