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
Ham, Gruyere & Spring Onion Crepes. If you have ever had the opportunity to go to a French market over on the Continent, you will most likely have seen Crepe Vendors.
Baking crepes in the open air and filling them with whatever your heart desires. Folded into quarters, and wrapped in paper, they are very easy to eat while you walk around browsing through the market.
You can get them filled with fruit fillings, nutella, cream and even with savoury fillings. My favourites are always the ones filled with ham and cheese.
Kind of like a Croque Monsieur, but in a crepe, not bread.
They also make for a quick, easy and light supper during the summer months when you are looking for something to make that isn't going to keep you standing over a hot stove for ages and ages.
I'm all for that. I can be lazy from time to time when it comes to cooking. No, I'm not kidding. Its true.
These are delicious. I like to use Gruyere cheese, which is a lovely melty Swiss type of cheese, but you could use cheddar, or Colby, or even Jack cheese if you wanted to.
You could even use a combination of cheeses. I like cheeses with a lot of flavour and so I choose Gruyere because it has a sweet and nutty taste, and goes really well with ham.
I like to pair it with a good ham . . . thinly sliced honey ham is good, or a thinly sliced dry cured oak smoked.
You are going to tear it into pieces, so just pick a nice ham, and one that you enjoy. The nicer the flavour of the ham you use, the less you will need of it. Fact.
People can find making crepes a little bit intimidating, but they really aren't hard to make at all.
I put the batter through a sieve to make for a smooth batter. Just use a good non-stick frying pan, lightly oiled and well heated.
You don't want them frying so much as you want the to bake in the skillet. Just pour a very thin layer and tilt the hot pan a bit to spread the batter out into evenly.
Let it cook until golden brown and then using a flexible spatula, flip them over to brown the other side. Easy peasy.
Once you have browned one side and flipped them over you can start filling them. They cook in literally about a minute if you pan is heated properly.
Not too hot, not too cold. Sprinkle the cheese on half of the crepe . . .
Let it cook for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese, then scatter over some torn ham and some chopped spring onion.
Fold in half again so that you have a triangle and put into a warm oven to keep warm while you cook the rest. Again, such a simple thing.
Like an omelet, but with a flour batter instead of an omelet batter.
These go together really quickly and are so delicious! You don't need to limit yourself to what I have used. Use your imagination and whatever is in the refrigerator to fill them with whatever appeals.
You could go completely vegetarian and fill them with sauteed vegetables and cheese, or maybe you have some leftover curried chicken or lamb. That would also be nice. A salad on the side makes for a complete meal!
*Ham, Gruyere & Spring Onion Crepes*
serves 4
Delicious
savoury pancake wrapped around torn sliced ham, Gruyere (Swiss) cheese and
chopped spring onions, to make a delicious quick supper. Serve a salad
on the side.
150g plain flour (1 cup + 1 1/2 TBS) sifted
3 large free range eggs, beaten
450ml whole milk (1 3/4 cup)
generous pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper
240g grated Gruyere Cheese (can use cheddar if you wish) (2 cups)
4 slices baked ham, torn
4 spring onions, trimmed, washed and thinly sliced
oil for frying
Sift the flour into a bowl along with the salt and pepper. Make a
well in the centre. Add the egg and milk and whisk all together until
smooth. If necessary put through a sieve to take out any lumps.
Have
ready a large non-stick skillet. Lightly grease with oil and heat.
Pour 1/8th of the batter into the hot skillet, tilting to cover the
bottom with the batter evenly. Cook until golden brown. Carefully flip
over, and brown on the other side. Sprinkle a portion of cheese on half
the crepe, top with some chopped onion and torn ham. Fold half the
crepe over to cover, and then fold in half again until you have a
triangle. Keep warm in a low oven while you cook the remaining crepes.
You should have at least 8, maybe a couple more.
My husband is not a man who enjoys eating with his hands. He even eats his burgers with a knife and a fork. To each their own!
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Bon Appetit!
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.
We don't eat a lot of red meat in our house. We mostly eat chicken or fish, with an occasional piece of beef, lamb or pork. I have thought about stopping eating meat altogether, but I do admit, I really enjoy the occasional steak or chop, and we both enjoy good sausages every now and then!
I can remember when I was growing up and my mother cooked pork chops for our supper, you could have used them to shingle your roof. They had the mistaken idea back then, in the olden days . . . that you really needed to over-cook pork.
Whilst pork does need to be cooked through, you don't need to overcook them, and cook the flavour out of them. Brining is a good way to keep them nice and moist. Also bone in chops have less of a tendency to dry out than boneless chops.
I also find that oven braising them, after an initial browning on top of the stove, also helps to maintain their delectability and flavour.
In this recipe I am sharing with you today, the chops are browned quickly in a skillet and then oven braised on a bed of sweet potatoes and onions to finish them off.
This is a dish I really love to serve in the Winter months when we don't mind the oven being on, and we have heartier appetites.
The chops/potatoes/onions are braised in a mixture of apple juice and maple syrup, which also adds some lovely layers of flavours.
I like to brown my onions really well, before layering them in the pan. This lends a bit of sweetness to the dish . . . sticky golden fried onions are a real taste bud tingler! And the smell . . . it can't be beat!
You don't need to use apple juice . . . orange or pineapple juice would also work very well . . .
as would hard cider . . . or even just some chicken stock. Its really up to you. Myself, I like the flavour that the apple juice lends to the overall dish.
Simple ingredients done right. This is a fabulous one dish meal. I like to serve some petit pois on the side and of course applesauce is another tasty addition!
Yield: 2
Pork Chops Baked with Sweet Potatoes
prep time: 15 minscook time: 50 minstotal time: 65 mins
This meal in a dish supper is adaptable to many flavours. You could use sage or summer savoury instead of thyme, or crushed seeds like fennel, coriander or juniper. Honey instead of Maple Syrup would work well also.
ingredients:
- 2 TBS sunflower oil
- 250g sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced (1/2 pound)
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium brown onions, peeled and sliced
- the leaves from 3 - 4 sprigs of thyme
- 2 pork loin chops, fatty edge slashed
- (this helps to prevent the chops from curling)
- 1 TBS pure Maple Syrup
- 75ml apple juice (1/3 cup)
instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a shallow oven baking dish. Set aside.
- Prepare your vegetables. Spread the sweet potatoes in the baking dish, sprinkling them with salt and pepper and a bit of thyme.
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onions and fry them until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and spread over the potatoes. Sprinkle wit a bit more thyme. Season the pork chops and brown them quickly on both sides in the skillet. Place them on top of the vegetables in the casserole dish and sprinkle with any remaining thyme. Whisk together the maple syrup and apple juice. Pour over all and then cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Uncover. Reduce the oven temperature to 150*C/300*F/gas mark 2. Return the dish to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes to let the chops and potatoes brown slightly. Spoon onto heated plates to serve. I like to serve a green vegetable with this.
Created using The Recipes Generator
You can double or triple this recipe by increasing the quantities accordingly and baking in a much larger gratin dish. The cook time should stay the same.
Of course a good set of knives is probably the best tool you can have in the kitchen. I was sent these Taylor's Eye Witness Rose Gold Knives recently to use and try out. They are really nice knives, with an attractive rose-gold coloured bolster and finger guard. They also boast comfortable soft-grip handles. They have a hard titanium plated blade, with super-sharp hollow ground blades, which are difficult to blunt and come with a 2 year no-quibble guarantee. Whilst they are dishwasher safe, hand washing is recommended,using a plastic dish brush in hot soapy water, and drying with a soft cloth immediately after. It is not recommended that you use anything abrasive to wash them with. Regular sharpening will help to keep the edges sharp. There is nothing more dangerous in the kitchen than a dull knife. I found them to work very well and was very impressed with their ability to cut my onions and sweet potatoes into lovely thin slices with no effort at all. This set is the Brooklyn Rose Gold 2 piece kitchen knife set, containing a 6 1/2 inch Santuko knife, a 5 inch all-purpose knife and a 4 inch paring knife. I have been very impressed thus far with their performance and I know I am really going to enjoy using these in my kitchen!
Here's a handy kitchen tip, when I am slicing anything with rounded edges like an onion, or a potato, I find it very helpful to slice a thin edge off on one side so that the vegetable can sit on the cutting board without rolling around.
It works a charm and is a much safer way to cut things into thin slices.
Taylor's Eye Witness have been making quality knives in Sheffield since 1838. Beautifully designed, yet affordable. You can buy these lovely knives from the Bakewell Cookshop.
Note - although I was sent these knives free of charge to use, any and all opinions are my own.
I have been carrying on a love affair with Mexican food since I first tasted it some 40 odd years ago. It was not something that we grew up with. My parents did not really go in for foreign food. The only spices my father liked mom to use was salt and pepper.
She did get away with cooking us what she called "Italian Spaghetti" now and then and it was nothing more than a pound of ground beef cooked with a can of Catelli spaghetti sauce and served over noodles. Not my favorite thing.
She discovered oregano when I was in high school, and she started using that in everything. She also discovered Chili con Carne, which was a recipe from off a tin of tomato soup. I wasn't fond of that either, but my father loved it.
Then there was pizza which one of my boyfriends taught us how to make using boxed Chef Boy Ar Dee Pizza mix. That was as foreign as we got in our home!
The first real Mexican experience I had was when my children were growing up and I tried a recipe for Enchiladas out of a Sunset cooking book. The original recipe was for Chicken Enchiladas, but I made them with leftover turkey. We all loved them.
We all fell in love with Mexican food and it's a love affair that has been growing ever since! I have never been to Mexico, but I love the flavors.
There was a Mexican restaurant in Fredericton we used to love to go to called Mexicali Rosa's. They brought fresh tortilla chips and salsa to the table while you were waiting. I loved to order the fajitas or the tacos.
I saw this birria tacos recipe on a blog called Grandbaby Cakes. They looked fabulous. I could not wait to try them. I ordered some special ingredients that were needed from Amazon and then I made a half recipe of them, and they were the most delicious tacos I have ever eaten.
Fork tender, rich, and succulent beef in a rich adobo sauce, with plenty of cheese, all tucked into corn tortillas and fried until crispy. Served with a spicy broth for dipping. It doesn't get much better than this!
.JPG "Ingredients for chili paste")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BIRRIA TACOS
There are actually two components to the dish. A feisty and delicious chili paste that you make first and then there is the beef and stuff needed for the broth. It looks like a long list, but it's mostly spices.
For the chili paste:
- 2 dried ancho chilies
- 1 dried guajillo chili
- 2 Chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup (60ml) crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup (60ml) water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 TBS red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp whole oregano leaf
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp paprika
For the meat and dipping sauce:
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- 1 3/4 pounds of beef, cut into chunks
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 2 cups (480ml) beef stock or broth
- 1 cup (140ml) water
For the Taco assembly:
- 9 corn tortillas
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
- shredded Oaxaca or Monterrey Jack cheese (I used Jack)
I ordered the dry chilies and the chilies in adobo sauce from Amazon. I had everything else in my store cupboard. For the meat I used a round roast that I bought marked down, which I cut up into cubes. It worked beautifully. You could also use lamb if you can find it.
I buy my corn tortillas at Sobey's here in Nova Scotia. They are actual real corn tortillas from Mexico!
About a week after I made these my friend Victoria in California send me some Mexican chilies from where she lives along with a Mexican tablecloth, so next time I cook Tex-Mex, you will have a much more adventurous background to see!
HOW TO MAKE BIRRIA TACOS
You might think these are complicated, but they are very simple. Basically, they are just stewed meat, shredded, stuffed into a tortilla with cheese and onion and fried. Served with a broth for dipping. Kind of like a Mexican French Dip. (LOL talk about fusion!)
Start by making the chili paste. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Add about 1 cup/240ml of water to a medium size pot and bring to the boil. Add the chilies, cover and leave to sit off the heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
At the end of that time add the chilies to a heavy-duty blender or food processor along with the remaining ingredients for the paste. Blend until smooth and thick.
Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3. Add the oil to a flame proof casserole dish and heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Brown it in batches in the hot oil, removing it to a bowl as it browns.
When the meat is done, add the onion to the pan and sauté until it starts to brown. Return the meat to the pan along with the chili paste. Add the bouillon cube, and water to the casserole and give everything a good stir. Bring to a simmer and then cover.
Roast/braise in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is falling apart. Remove from the meat from the broth and shred with two forks. Taste and adjust seasoning on the broth as desired. Remove and set aside about 3/4 cup of the broth (about half).
Return the beef to the remaining broth. To the reserved broth add some coriander and the onion. Set aside for use as the dipping sauce.
Heat a knob of butter or some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dip a tortilla into the top part of the broth in the casserole.
Fry for a few seconds in the oil, and then flip over. Top with meat, onion, coriander and cheese allowing the cheese to melt and get gooey. Remove from the pan.
Repeat with all of the tortillas. Serve with the dipping sauce and enjoy!
These are a truly amazingly delicious treat. I am in love with them! My recipe makes 9 which is more than enough for two people to enjoy with leftovers for the next day. (Everyone loves leftover tacos right?)
If you are a fan of Tex Mex you just might also enjoy these recipes:
QUICK & EASY BAKED CHICKEN TACOS -These are so quick to throw together. You can have them made, baked and on the table in about 20 minutes, ready to enjoy. Not only are they quick and easy, but they are also very delicious!
CHICKEN FAJITAS -These delicious Fajitas are a tiny bit different than the usual. Sized for two but can easily be doubled. You need to marinate the chicken for 1/2 hour prior to cooking.
Birria Tacos
Yield: 9 tacos
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 2 H & 30 MTotal time: 2 H & 50 M
I half sized a recipe for these delicious tacos filled with tender beef in a rich adobo broth. Fried to perfection they are delicious enjoyed repeatedly dipped into that lush sauce/broth.
Ingredients
For the chili paste:
- 2 dried ancho chilies
- 1 dried guajillo chili
- 2 Chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup (60ml) crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup (60ml) water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 TBS red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp whole oregano leaf
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp paprika
For the meat and dipping sauce:
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- 1 3/4 pounds of beef, cut into chunks
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 2 cups (480ml) beef stock or broth
- 1 cup (140ml) water
For the Taco assembly:
- 9 corn tortillas
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
- shredded Oaxaca or Monterrey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Start by making the chili paste. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Add about 1 cup/240ml of water to a medium size pot and bring to the boil. Add the chilies, cover and leave to sit off the heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
- At the end of that time add the chilies to a heavy-duty blender or food processor along with the remaining ingredients for the paste. Blend until smooth and thick.
- Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3.
- Add the oil to a flame proof casserole dish and heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Brown it in batches in the hot oil, removing it to a bowl as it browns.
- When the meat is done, add the onion to the pan and sauté until it starts to brown. Return the meat to the pan along with the chili paste.
- Add the bouillon cube, and water to the casserole and give everything a good stir. Bring to a simmer and then cover.
- Roast/braise in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is falling apart.
- Remove from the meat from the broth and shred with two forks.
- Taste and adjust seasoning on the broth as desired. Remove and set aside about 3/4 cup of the broth (about half) and set aside. Return the beef to the broth.
- To the reserved broth add some coriander and the onion. Set aside for use as the dipping sauce.
- Heat a knob of butter or some oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Dip a tortilla into the top part of the broth in the casserole. Fry for a few seconds and then flip over. Top with meat, onion, coriander and cheese allowing the cheese to melt and get gooey. Remove from the pan.
- Repeat with all of the tortillas. Serve with the dipping sauce and enjoy!
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Today's recipe is the type of recipe everyone should have tucked up their sleeve. It comes in very handy when you are not ready yet to go shopping and you find yourself with a few bits in the refrigerator which are still good to use, but not enough that a person could make a meal of them on their own.
I will often find myself with a piece of a head of broccoli, an onion, perhaps a carrot or two, a couple pieces of bell pepper, a tomato, etc. You know what I mean. There is nothing wrong with them but for the fact that there are not huge amounts of them.
Its happened to us all, but that doesn't mean that any of these tasty vegetables should go to waste, or that you need dash to the store until you really want to. You can make a delicious, quick and easy stir fry with them by adding a bit of this and a bit of that and a lot of ingenuity!
One thing I love about stir fries is you don't need a lot of anything really, not even the protein part . . . and almost anything works protein wise. Beef, chicken, pork, fish, tofu . . . quorn. You can even use leftover cooked meats if you really wanted to, but I like to use fresh myself.
That way I can marinate the protein first and really get some flavour into it, but I suppose you could marinate cooked meats as well if you really wanted to. A few nice flavours such as soy sauce, sesame oil, hot chili oil, garlic, five spice powder, garlic . . . and all of that lovely veg and protein thrown together in a pan and cooked into a delicious chinese feast. All you need on the side is a bit of rice, and Bob's your Uncle.
No need to shop right away, and everyone is happy. Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. Just add them from the order of the ones which will take the longest to cook to the quickest cooking ones and it will all work out well. Cheap, cheerful and cooked to order. You can't get much better than that! Enjoy!
*Clean Out the Fridge Stir Fry*
Serves 4
A great end of the week supper. Quick and easy to make. Serves 4
1/2 tsp five spice powder
2 TBS rice wine vinegar
1 tsp grated ginger rootcut into wedges)
rice to serve
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a TBS of peanut or vegetable oil. Drop in the meat. No need to drain. Cook and stir, flipping it around and adding vegetables as required and according to the length of time it will take them to cook. Add the ones who take the longest first and work your way up to the ones which will cook really quickly. Keep flipping and stirring until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are crispy tender. Serve hot with rice.
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