Showing posts sorted by relevance for query lamb. Sort by date Show all posts

Tartiflette with Reblochon and A Year In Cheese

Name: Cream & Crumb Schnitz Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 4 min
Ingredients: Pastry for one 9-inch single crust pie; enough apples to fill the pie shell (I used 1 1/2 large gravenstein apples); 1 cup (200g) soft light brown sugar, packed; 3 TBS cold butter; 1/3 cup (47g) all purpose plain flour; 2/3 cup (160ml) cream (sweet, sour or turning); 3/4 tsp cinnamon

Friday, 4 December 2015

I have always said that the potato is one of my favourite vegetables. I am also really fond of cheese, especially good cheese, which is surprising really when you consider the fact that I grew up on plastic cheese and had never ever really tasted good cheese (I was a cheese taster chicken) before I moved over here to the UK. Oh sure . . . my mom used to get in some Cracker Barrel every Christmas, but . . . I was too chicken to try it.

read article

The Well Stocked Kitchen

Tuesday, 23 March 2021

Its been many years since I have had to stock a kitchen again from scratch, and I have never had to do it with just one person in mind, so I thought it would be fun to share my ideas for a well stocked kitchen with you this morning.

If you have a well stocked kitchen and pantry, it is much easier to create meals at the last minute or at least with a minimum of planning involved. Once stocked, your weekly grocery shop will be more about replenishing what you have used, as well as adding special ingredients you might need for the meals you have planned for the coming days.

Every item in your kitchen/pantry should have:

1. A long shelf life.

2. Great versatility. You should be able to turn to them for a wide variety of recipes.

3. Be "season"-less. You should be able to use these items, regardless of what time of year it is.

This is my plan for having a well stocked kitchen with all the tools and ingredients needed to help make cooking and preparing food for yourself or a family easy and enjoyable.

*Handy Tip - If you keep a pad and pencil in your kitchen, you can jot down a pantry item each time you run out of it. This will make your trips to the grocery store much better planned!

Essential Tools and Equipment

Buy the best that you can afford of these things and they will more than pay for themselves in their longevity.

A good set of pots and pans containing at the very least a good sized skillet, several saucepans and a Dutch oven sized pan. You may not always be cooking for just yourself and it only makes sense to have normal sized pots and pans. In addition you may want to stock a few extra smaller ones for when you are all on your own. An 8-inch skillet is the ideal size for just one person.

Roasting tins (One medium and one large)

Casserole dishes (small, medium and large)

Cutting Boards. I like to have several good plastic cutting boards and one good wooden cutting board. I don't like to mix boards, preferring instead to use separate boards for fruits and vegetables and for raw meats and poultry. The wooden board is good to have for cutting loaves and breads. You may also want to have a cutting board that is dedicated to carving cooked meats and poultry. This one should have a narrow recessed area all around the perimeter to catch any juices. All of your boards, with the exception of the bread board, should have rubber edges or feet to help to keep the boards in place when using.

A good set of knives. You will need a good set of knives to help with the preparation of your food. I recommend a good chef's knife, a paring knife, a boning knife, a serrated knife and a good pair of kitchen scissors are musts. You don't need to buy the most expensive knives, but do buy the best that you can afford to buy. A good knife sharpener is also a must.

A good can opener.

A good vegetable peeler.

A good box grater with a variety of hole sizes. I also like to have a small holed micro plane grater which is great for grating small amounts of citrus zests and fresh nutmeg, as well as Parmesan cheese.

An assortment of good cooking utensils such as tongs, a slotted spoon, a large spoon, several egg/pancake turners (wide and narrow), a ladle, etc. I like to get silicone coated ones which can help add to the longevity of your pans by preventing unnecessary scratches, etc.

An assortment of measuring cups and spoons. (Both glass and metal)

Several wooden spoons.

A good rolling pin. I have a beechwood pin which I was able to bring over from the UK. A good rolling pill will last many life times.

Several small whisks are very helpful when making single serving salad dressings or just for whisking together a few eggs.

Fine meshed sieves in a few sizes

A medium to large sized colander

A blender (either a stick or a full sized)

Mixing bowls. I like to have these in a variety of sizes, usually three. Small, medium and large. I prefer glass as they are easier to get squeaky clean, which is especially important when you are talking about whisking egg whites, etc.

Baking tins. You will want a variety of good quality baking tins. I have chosen to purchase two round 8-inch baking tins, one round 9-inch tin, one each square 8 and 9-inch tins, one 9 by 13 inch baking tin. A Jelly roll tin (half sheet pan, rimmed), one full sheet pan, rimmed and one quarter sheer pan. Two six cup muffin tins. (That way you are equipped to bake six or 12 muffins depending on your need.) Eventually I will purchase myself a mini muffin tin. Perfect for making small tarts and cakes. Also nice to have is a medium sized non-stick Bundt tin. Also two pie plates (9-inch) and two loaf tins. ( 9X4)

A good digital instant read thermometer. Essential when you may not be used to cooking individual pieces of chicken or fish, or even when you are cooking for larger groups. A good thermometer takes the guess-work out of cooking.

A digital scale. You will find a digital scale invaluable for weighing out proteins, vegetables and pastas to ensure you have the right portions necessary for the recipes you are cooking.

Several kitchen timers. Ideal for reminding you when you have something cooking in the oven. I like to have at least two.

A good heavy electric hand whisk, and or stand mixer.

A pastry blender and a potato masher.

A small microwave oven. Ideal for heating things up and making smaller sauces.

Plastic storage containers in a variety of sizes. Great for storing your opened packages of flour, sugar, salt, etc. You will also want some cheaper ones for use in storing leftover cooked foods.

Food storage bags. I prefer zip lock bags. Great for freezing individual portions of meats and poultry, or keeping fresh cheeses, etc. fresh.

Ice cube trays

Dish towels, dish cloths, dish brushes, pot holders and hot pads.

Nice to have but not necessary

Toaster

Kettle

Toaster oven

Food processor

Stand mixer

Citrus juicer

Salad spinner

In the Pantry

Spices and Herbs

These things are expensive. If you are able to buy smaller amounts in a bulk bin type of a store, this is best as then you won't have waste. By buying what you need and paying for smaller amounts you won't be left with jars of partially used spices in your cupboard. It also makes sense to do this when you are buying specialty spices that you may only be using irregularly.

For cooking

Sea salt (fine and flaked)

Black pepper, ground and whole peppercorns

Parsley flakes

Dried Basil

Dried Oregano

Ground Cumin

Garlic and Onion Powders

Paprika (smoked and sweet)

Chili powder

Chili flakes

any favorites that you know you will use frequently

For baking

Ground cinnamon

whole nutmegs

cloves (ground and whole)

dried powdered ginger

ground cardamom

Dry Goods

All purpose flour

Baking powder

Baking soda

Cocoa powder

Granulated sugar

Light or dark brown sugar

Icing sugar

Oatmeal

Chocolate (chips and darker chocolate for baking)

An assortment of canned beans (only what you think you will use)

Dry pasta (at the very least elbow macaroni and spaghetti)

Dried beans and lentils

Rice

Cooking oil (Canola, light olive)

Extra virgin olive oil (for salads)

Vinegar (a good balsamic, white and red wine, cider)

Good canned tuna

Coconut milk

Several tinned soups

Good canned tomatoes (whole and chopped, in juice)

Tomato paste

Olives (green and black)

Beef, chicken and vegetable broths (canned, tetra bricks or powdered)

Smooth peanut butter

Honey

Maple Syrup

onions

potatoes and or sweet potatoes

garlic

The Refrigerator

Only buy fresh produce that you need and think you are going to be able use within the week. Before you go shopping, take stock of what you already have and dispose of anything that is no longer any good.

Eggs

Cheese

Butter

Yeast

Lard

Plain yogurt

Cream (heavy and sour)

Milk (2% and buttermilk)

A good mayonnaise

A good Dijon mustard (also a grainy if possible)

Pickles (both sweet and sour cornichons)

Jams or jellies as desired (I always have strawberry jam and orange marmalade)

Lemons, limes, oranges (I always have lemons and buy the others as needed)

Apples

Fresh lettuce

Tomatoes

Cucumber

Celery

Spring onions

Fresh herbs as needed

In the Freezer

I like to buy larger packs and then freeze individual pieces so that I can pull them out and defrost as needed and cook. Only freeze in larger quantities if you know you are going to be cooking for more. It is important to label your freezer bags with the date and contents. I also double bag to insure freshness.

Meats, etc.

Chicken ( breasts and thighs, boneless, skinless)

Fish ( I like cod, haddock and salmon)

Ground beef (I buy grass fed organic lean)

Pork chops (I like bone in)

Beef Steak ( both a stewing and a frying)

Stew beef or lamb

Miscellaneous

Bread Crumbs (regular and panko)

Nuts (usually walnuts and pecans)

Coconut (flaked and desiccated)

Frozen fruit

Frozen vegetables

A variety of frozen juices (apple and orange)

Pastry (all butter puff and regular short crust)

a few individual sized ready meals for just in case

Use it up, don't throw it out

It can be really hard to use up ingredients when you are only cooking for yourself. What do you do with the half a can of corn you didn't use or the half can of beans? Here are some ideas and tips for safely storing some of these ingredients.

Canned Items

Beans and vegetables - drain well and pat dry with paper kitchen toweling. Transfer to small freezer containers, or zip lock baggies. (double bag) Lay flat to freeze

Coconut milk - Opened coconut milk will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator, but for longer storage you will want to freeze it. Whisk together until it is well blended and then pour into ice cube trays. Pop into the freezer to freeze. Once frozen, pop out and into freezer containers or zip lock baggies.

Chipotle Chiles in Adobo and Tomato Paste - Line a baking sheet with baking parchment or wax paper. Spoon the chiles and sauce into TBS sized dollops on the baking sheet and then freeze until solid. Pop off and into freezer containers or zip lock baggies. You can do the same with tomato paste. Alternately, if you have purchased it in a can, open the end of the can and push the paste out into a zip lock baggie. Cut off only as much as you need from the frozen log.

Other Items

Avocado - Did you know you can freeze avocado? It freezes perfectly and works well in salads, sandwiches, mashed, or guacamole once thawed.

Halves -Just cut them in half lengthwise, place them on a tray, and sprinkle each half with lemon juice. Freeze until solid and then pack into airtight bags or containers.

Cubed - Cube and do as above.

Mashed - Mash with a bit of lemon juice, pack into a zip lock baggie, removing as much air as possible, freeze flat.

Bread - If you are only one person, the smartest thing to do with your bread is to store it in the freezer, rightly wrapped in aluminum foil and sealed in a zip lock baggie. Hearty crusty bread freezes much better than standard sandwich bread. Make sure it is sliced before freezing and then wrap and store in smaller amounts, wrapped as above. Usually 3 to 4 slices per pack.

Berries - When you bring them home, wash your fresh berries in a bowl containing 3 cups of water and 1 cup of distilled white vinegar. Rinse well under cold running water. Line a salad spinner with 3 layers of paper towel and spin them out for about 15 seconds or until completely dry. Store in a loosely covered container, lined with paper towels in the front of your refrigerator.

Bacon - Coil up individually (Helps prevent sticking) and freeze on a plate. Once frozen, transfer to a zip lock baggie.

Cheese - Remove your opened cheeses from the plastic wrap. Wrap in parchment paper and then in aluminum foil, label and then store in the refrigerator. The paper allows the cheese to breathe and the foil protects it from absorbing other flavors from the fridge, and helps to keep it from drying out.

If you have feta cheese and it didn't come in a brine, pop it into a small zip-lock bag or container and pour in just enough oil to cover it. You can keep it this way in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Cheese can also be frozen, wrapped tightly in plastic cling film and then placed into a zip lock baggie. It will keep for up to two months. You can defrost it overnight in the refrigerator when you want to use it, or at room temperature for 2 1/2 hours.

Salad Greens - Store intact heads of lettuce or washed and dried leaves wrapped in moist paper towels in partially open zip lock bags in the refrigerator crisper drawer.

Fresh Herbs - Gently rinse and dry your herbs as soon as you bring them home from the store. Pat dry with paper towels or spin in a salad spinner to dry. Wrap in damp paper towel and place in a partially opened zip lock baggie in your refrigerator crisper drawer. It is important to note that you CANNOT do this with fresh basil. Do not rinse it, simply wrap in clean DRY paper towel, place in a partially opened zip lock baggie and store in the crisper drawer.

Onions - To store chopped, sliced or halved onions, store in a zip lock baggie in the refrigerator, rinsing before using. For delicate leeks, chives and spring onions, place the ends in a glass of water, cover loosely with a zip lock baggie and store in the refrigerator.

These things may seem like a no-brainer to some people, but I am sure there are many people out there who don't know where to begin. When you are setting up a kitchen for the first time, it can be overwhelming as to where to start. I really hope that this information, hints and tips will be valuable to each of you. A well stocked/kitted out kitchen allows you to have more options in your cooking journey and to be able to create a simple meal from scratch at the drop of a hat.

If you stock your kitchen with these items you are sure to never feel like "there is nothing to eat" ever again.

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.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

read article

Cream & Crumb Schnitz Pie

Sunday, 19 September 2021

This has to be my favorite apple pie of all time, I kid you not! It is the best apple pie recipe and I think you best prepare yourself now to fall in love because I am pretty certain you will do just that!

The original recipe comes from an old recipe book of mine entitled Food that Really Schmecks, Mennonite Cooking by Edna Staebler, published in 1968.

I remember taking a copy of the book out of the library when I was a very young mother and living in London, Ontario. I painstakingly copied some of the recipes out into my Big Blue Binder. This would have been back in the early 1980's.

I eventually purchased a copy for myself many years later. It is a wonderful example of Canadian Mennonite Cooking, written by Edna Staebler who grew up in Waterloo county in Ontario, Canada, at the very heart of Canadian Mennonite Country.

I have been to the area many, many times myself. The farm market in Kitchener is fabulous and filled with an abundance of Mennonite cooking and quilts, meats, etc.

I also have been to Saint Jacobs many times, which is a very Mennonite town. We used to love to eat at a Mennonite Restaurant called Anna Mae's in Millbank which is in the same area.

I have eaten there many times and in my opinion it was the best home cooking you could get in a restaurant outside of a home! Everything was delicious. They have a different special every night of the week, along with their special Broasted Chicken, and of course the pies are to die for.

If you ever happen to have a chance to visit it and eat there, I highly recommend. Be sure to bring along a hearty appetite because they will be rolling you out of there!

Mennonites are known for being excellent cooks. I am not surprised. They are very similar to the Amish in origin and life style. We lived not too far from Mennonite country and often saw them in their horse and buggies.

Anyways, this pie is one of the best apple pies you could ever want to bake and to eat, and its very simple as well.

Schnitz usually refers to dried apples, but in this case it refers simply to sliced apples. I don't want to start any arguments here. I know people can be very pedantic about terminology, etc.

I am only giving you the name by which it is listed in the book. A rose by any other name and all that.

This is a single crust pie, composed of a delicious streusel crumb that is used in three separate ways. First as a base in the bottom of the crust beneath the apples.

Second mixed into sour cream or cream as a creamy custard that gets poured over the apples, and finally, third as a cinnamon streusel topping that gets sprinkled over top of the pie before baking.

There is nothing extraordinary called for her, unless you consider cream or sour cream to be extraordinary.

For me they are just staples and something which I always have in my kitchen. It is the same with buttermilk and plain yogurt. Trust me when I tell you that they always, always get used!

You will want to use a nice all rounder when it comes to apples. Today I used some Gravensteins that are now coming into crop.

The Gravenstein apple is one of the earliest croppers when it comes to apples in Nova Scotia. They are great all rounders making for both great eating and great cooking. Firm, crisp and juicy.

As you can tell they hold their shape well in cooking. They are also generally quite large. I used one and a half for this pie.

The other half I ate out of hand and it was delicious! Best apple I have eaten in a while. Not long since being picked I am sure. I bought them at Goucher's farm market on Friday.

I had forgotten just how delicious fresh picked apples are. My first husband's family were farmers. They had orchards as well as chickens, eggs, lamb, beef cattle, and farmed vegetables as well for the local processing plant.

My late Mother In Law knew what to do with all of these things and she did it really well. Nothing was wasted. I learned a lot from her. Lois was a real treasure. She passed away a few years ago at the age of 100.

Normally I would make my own pastry for this but had a really busy day today so used a frozen pie crust. A Tenderflake crust. They are the best when it comes to ready crusts here in Canada.

Normally I would make my Butter & Lard Pastry. It is the best, flakiest pastry you could ever want in a pie, single or double, sweet or savory. Trust me on this.

*Butter-Lard Pastry*
Makes 2 nine - inch crusts

Printable Recipe

This is a beautiful pastry. Flaky just right. You can add a touch of sugar to it if you are making a fruit pie.

2 cups all purpose flour (280g)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter (76g)
1/3 cup lard (or white vegetable shortening) (74g)
5 to 6 tablespoons of ice water

(note: if using for a sweet pie, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar.)

Mix flour with salt, and cut in butter and lard, until you have pieces of fat in the flour about the size of peas. Add ice water, one TBS at a time, tossing it in with a fork until pastry comes together. Form in to a ball and cut in two pieces. Form each into a round flat disc. Warp in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

When the children were growing up, I always, ALWAYS had to make one of these for Thanksgiving along with the traditional Pumpkin Pie. The family loved it.

I also loved it. I would cut you a piece to show you inside the pie, but it really needs to stand overnight before I do that, and I am thinking I will bring it to my sister's tomorrow if I get invited for supper.

Do believe me however when I tell you that this is a DELICIOUS pie! (Sorry for shouting but I can't help myself when it comes to this pie.)

Crisp buttery crust, sweet, rich apple filling with a creamy sweet brown sugar custard and cinnamon brown sugar streusel on top. Now if that doesn't get your taste buds to tingling, I don't know what will.

I am only sorry it took me so long to share this with you! Now get off here and go and bake one for your family. This pie is guaranteed to make you one of their most favorite people ever!

Cream & Crumb Schnitz Pie

Yield: Makes one 9-inch pie

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 50 MinTotal time: 1 H & 4 M

This is quite simply my favorite apple pie. I have been baking and eating it for many years. The original recipe comes from a book entitles Food That Really Schmecks by Edna Staebler, published in 1968.

Ingredients

Pastry for one 9-inch single crust pie
enough apples to fill the pie shell (I used 1 1/2 large gravenstein apples)
1 cup (200g) soft light brown sugar, packed
3 TBS cold butter
1/3 cup (47g) all purpose plain flour
2/3 cup (160ml) cream (sweet, sour or turning)
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Have your unbaked pie crust ready.
Measure the flour, sugar and butter into a bowl and rub into crumbs. Sprinkle half of them into the bottom of the pie crust.
Peel, core and slice your apple into slices (schnitz). Place them in the pie crust on top of the crumbs.
Divide the remaining crumbs in two. Mix the cream into one portion and mix the cinnamon into the other portion.
Spoon the cream portion over top of the apples to cover them completely. Sprinkle the cinnamon crumbs over top of all evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes. The crust will be golden brown, the apples tender and the cream set and golden brown as well.
Let cool to at least lukewarm before cutting into wedges to serve.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #TheEnglishKitchen

All of the content you see here on this page, both photography and written, are the sole property of The English Kitchen, Marie Rayner. 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.

Follow me on Bloglovin

read article

A Delicious Gratin of Chard

Tuesday, 27 September 2011

We recently signed up to Abel & Cole again for a small veg and fruit box delivery each week and our first one arrived this morning. I was so thrilled to see a big bunch of rainbow Chard in it! We tried to grow chard this year, but the slugs never gave it a chance.

I know we could use slug pellets, but we just don't like to use them (bad for the birds) and the other stuff is largely in-effective. One night Todd went out into the garden and picked up no less than 40 slugs. We are going to have to do something about that before next year for sure.

Anyways there was this lovely big bunch of beautiful rainbow coloured Bright Lights Chard in it and of course I just had to cook it tonight for our supper. It was so very pretty with it's deep emerald green leaves riddled with beautiful veins and stems of raspberry pink, blood red, orange and yellow . . .

I just love chard . . . or silverbeet as it is also called. It has an almost earthy flavour . . . and is beautiful to eat when properly cooked. You don't to over cook either the leaves or the stems . . . it goes without saying that the slimmer stems are a bit more tender than the thicker ones, but no less tasty. They just need to be cooked that little bit longer.

I always separate the stems from the leaves and cook them separately, which seems to work very well for me. It's delicious simply steamed and then sprinkled with a dressing of lemon juice and olive oil, or vinegar as my mother used to use . . . but if you really want it to shine . . . prepare it as a gratin!

Oh so unctuously rich and creamy . . . with earthy undertones, and just a hint of sharpness from some grainy mustard, this is a real winner all round.

Me . . . I could eat just a plate of this and nothing else, but . . . we had it with some steamed and crushed pink firs from the garden and some lightly grilled Barnsley Chops (double lamb chops, English of course!)that I had simply sprinkled with a mixture of chopped rosemary, lemon zest and minced fresh garlic before grilling.

A most scrummy supper indeed! (The quantities given are for 4 as a side dish, but would make a very delicious light supper for two, served on it's own with some crusty bread for mopping up all those lucious juices.)

*A Delicious Gratin of Chard*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Earthy and moreishly delicious! This is quite simply the best.

450g of swiss chard (a scant pound)
400ml of double cream (about 1 2/3 cup)
2 TBS grainy mustard
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (1/4 cup)

Preheat your oven to 190*C/375*F/gas mark 5. Butter a shallow baking dish and set aside. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil.

Wash your chard really well. Cut the stalks from the leaves. Cut the stalks into short to medium sized pieces. Plunge the stems into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, then scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the leaves and leave in the boiling water only until they are wilted. Toss the stems and leaves together (shake offy excess water) and then place them into the buttered dish. Whisk together the cream, mustard and salt and black pepper to taste. Pour this mixture over top of the chard. Sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Bake in the heated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbling and the top has lightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve.

And in The Cottage today, a delicous Blueberry Gingerbread.

read article

Slow-fried Lemon & Oregano Potatoes

Wednesday, 2 December 2015

I have always loved potatoes in any way shape or form. I think they must be one of the most versatile vegetables in the kitchen. You can do anything with them. I was recently sent a cookbook to review, entitled Make It Easy Cookbook, by Jane Lovett an d as soon as I saw the recipe for Slow Fried Lemon and Oregano Potatoes in it, I knew that I had to make them! Simple ingredients, simply prepared with extraordinary taste results!

read article

Creamy Potato Gratin

Friday, 6 January 2017

This was the potato gratin I made to go along with our ham for our New Years celebrations. It is not only delicious but very simple to make. It is not low in calories however, so it will remain a once in a blue moon treat!

read article

Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Thursday, 20 October 2022

Pork is not something I really eat a lot of in my kitchen. It is a once in a blue moon treat. I mostly like to eat chicken or fish, the occasional piece of steak or lamb, or no meat at all. I could quite happily be a vegetarian methinks except for my occasion craving for something meaty!

And to be honest those "artificial meat substitutes" don't do anything for me. I don't mean to insult anyone by saying so, but (and hear me out) if you are a dedicated vegetarian why do you want something which tastes like chicken or beef? It doesn't make sense to me. Vegetarian bacon??? I don't get it.

But none of that has anything to do with pork steaks. I occasionally like a nice bit of pork and I had been seeing these tenderized pork loin steaks in the grocery store for a while.

Excuse my poor photograph. They are like beef cube steaks, except that they are pork loin, or very thin boneless pork loin chops which have been put through the tenderizing machine.

I do like cube steaks, especially done this way. Flash fried in butter until golden brown and served with a pat of herbed butter melting on top. A cheap way to get some tasty steak satisfaction!

So anyways, one day I picked up a package of the pork cube steaks to try out. They are quite economical actually, being one of the cheaper pieces of meat you can buy. Pork actually is one of the cheapest protein options when it comes to meat at the moment.

I had in mind I was going to do Pork Schnitzel or something similar. I do so love a nice tender crispy coated schnitzel. The best one I have ever had was in Austria.

I ordered one in a restaurant there that said it was its house speciality. It came to the table, a piece of tender pork, crispy coated in golden bread crumbs and almost as big as my plate. It was gargantuan.

Tender and juicy pork beneath that crisp fried coating and a mammoth side of chips. Oh boy, but it was some good. I enjoyed every calorie laden mouthful.

It's one of my favorite taste memories, of which I have a great many!

Nothing could quite come up to it I don't think and so I decided against trying, well on this particular day anyways. I decided to give it a much simpler treatment.

I decided to simply season it, fry it in butter and then serve it with a lush homemade Mushroom gravy, with a few simple vegetables on the side.

The meat coated and flash-fried in butter, retaining its juices and lightly seasoned with a few bits. The gravy created simply from the pan drippings and golden mushrooms fried also in butter.

The vegetables just what I had on hand. Wax yellow beans, mashed swede/rutabaga and a baked potato.

Lets talk briefly about the baked potato. I had fallen to temptation and bought one of those packages containing foil wrapped potatoes, ready for baking. I have one word for you and them.

DON'T And I can't stress that enough.

The potato tasted of mold and mildew. I decided to bake it quickly in the microwave so took it out of its foil wrapping. I immediately got a whiff of mold and so I scrubbed it really well in hot water with a brush and some dish detergent. (Don't judge.)

Even scrubbed, it was impossible to get rid of that smell and taste. I will never buy them again. I have three more that will now end up in the bin. What a waste of money.

I even tried just scooping the cooked potato from out of the skin, but that even tasted moldy. Or maybe I just had it in my head. In any case sadly inedible.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PORK STEAK WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY

This is such a simple thing, using simple every day ingredients, and perfecly sized for two people.

For the pork:

two thick slices of pork tenderloin, pounded until flat, or two tenderized pork loin steaks, again pounded until flat
salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme
1/2 TBS butter for frying

For the gravy:

1 TBS butter
about 12 closed cap mushrooms, wiped and sliced
1 TBS flour
salt and black pepper to taste
3/4 cup (180ml) chicken stock
1/4 cup (60ml) cream
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)

If you can't get the pork cube steaks, just use thin pork chops, or thick slices of pork tenderloin that you have pounded into shape. Or even pork steaks. My pork was only about 1/3 inch thick and so it cooked very quickly. Obviously if yours is thicker it will take longer to cook.

I used closed cap white button mushrooms, and cut them into 1/3 inch slices, I guess I got about four slices from each mushroom.

The chicken stock came from one of those cartons of stock that you reconstitute with water. I probably use it a bit stronger than suggested on the package, but it is up to you how much taste you want from the broth. I used leftover coffee cream from when my son was here.

HOW TO MAKE PORK STEAK WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY

Nothing could really be simpler. Or quicker. I guarantee. No need for a can of soup. Totally from scratch.

Take your pork steaks and dust them all over with salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried thyme. Dust them in flour shaking off any excess. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. When it begins to foam add the pork. Fry on both sides until golden brown and the juices run clear. Take care not to overcook it.

Remove the pork from the pan and set aside to keep warm, lightly tented on a plate. Add the butter for the gravy to the pan. Add the mushrooms. Fry the mushrooms until golden brown. Take care not to agitate them too much or they will release too much liquid and stew rather than brown.

Once the mushrooms are golden brown add the flour to the pan. Cook and stir for a minute or so. Whisk together the stock and the cream. Add this so the skillet and cook, stirring up any brown bits from the bottom, whisking constantly until the gravy is thick and creamy. Stir in the Dijon mustard if using.

Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Return the pork steaks to the pan along with any juices. Heat through briefly and then serve hot, with some of the gravy spooned over top.

This was really simple and very delicious. I apologize for a plate of similar colored things, but it is what it is. I like to use what I have in the fridge. No waste here.

If you are a fan of pork, you might enjoy these other Pork recipes. I can guarantee all are easy and all are delicious. Mind, I may be a bit biased!

DIJON AND GARLIC PORK FILLET - Pork fillet (tenderloin) is quite simply brushed with Dijon mustard and then with an herb/garlic mixture, prior to roasting it in the oven. From start to finish it will take about half an hour upon which time you will be rewarded with tender, juicy and flavourful perfectly cooked Pork!

IRON SKILLET GARLIC AND BROWN SUGAR PORK - Sweetly glazed, tender and juicy. Perfectly cooked and delicious. Prepare yourself to fall in love with these simple and yet incredibly tasty pork chops.

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner