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
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. ☺
Chimichurri Sauce may not be a sauce you are familiar with. Its a lovely lush and spicy sauce which hails from Argentina.
Its deliciously created from fresh herbs, vinegar, seasonings, red pepper flakes and plenty of garlic, and there is not much it doesn't go with!
Today I created Chimichurri chicken breast, but it goes with all sorts of grilled meats. Steak is a real favorite with me as well!
I adapted this recipe from one found in the cookbook entitled Seriously Simple, by Diane Rossen Worthington. Its a great book filled with lovely seriously simple recipes. I really enjoy my copy.
Most require nothing more than simple ingredients, cooking methods and cooking equipment. Simple flavors and foods done really well in a very simple way.
It doesn't get much better than that in my opinion!
Of course the star of this is the chimichurri recipe. Such a simple sauce, but the flavors are just wowza! I am sure once you have made it and tasted it, you will be able to think of all sorts of applications for it.
It is not only great as a sauce, but makes an excellent marinade as this recipe today expertly illustrates!
You do need to be fond of garlic however and a little bit of sauce goes a very long way as it is rather spicy. Because the garlic isn't cooked it has a bit of a bite! But trust me when I say it totally works just as is!
Diane says that the sauce got its name from the legend that British laborers working in Argentina saw bowls of this sauce and would say, "Give me curry," which over the years evolved into (as things do) "Chimichurri!" Makes sense to me!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
First of all, the most important ingredient here is the food processor. You could use a mortar and pestle as well if you have one, but you can't beat a food processor for its ease of preparation!
- garlic cloves, peeled
- flat leaf parsley
- olive oil
- white wine vinegar
- water or chicken broth
- dried oregano
- dried parsley
- salt and pepper
- red pepper flakes (crushed chilies)
HOW TO MAKE CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
Nothing could be easier, especially with a food processor.
You will need to puree the garlic first. Simply peel it and pop it into the food processor. You then pulse it until it is very fine or as fine as you can get it. You then add the parsley leaves and pulse until they are finely chopped.
The original recipe called for a whole bunch of flat leaf parsley, just the leaves. I used approximately 1/2 a bunch, and yes, stripped the leaves from the stems. It doesn't really take that long.
Once you have the garlic and parsley minced, it is a simple matter of whisking in the remaining ingredients. You can also give them a quick whisk in by pulsing them in a few times in the food processor.
That's it your marinade and sauce is done! Do taste it to make sure you have enough seasoning.
HOW TO CUT UP A WHOLE CHICKEN
Cutting up your own chicken is a lot cheaper than buying store cut chicken and its really easy to do if you have a sharp boning knife and a set of kitchen scissors.
1. Lay the bird on its back. Wiggle a wing to determine where the joint attaches to the breast. To separate the wing from the breast, use a sharp knife to cut through the ball joint where it meets the breast. Repeat with the other wing.
2.Pull a leg away from the body to see where it attaches. To remove the whole leg, first cut through the skin between the thigh and the breast.
3. Continue to pull on the leg and wiggle it a bit to determine where the thigh meets the socket in the back. Use a boning knife or paring knife to cut through that joint. Repeat with the other leg.
4. Place each leg skin-side down. With your hand and knife, bend the leg to feel for the ball joint. That's where the drumstick and thigh are connected. Then, look for the thin line of fat that runs along the ball joint. Cut through the line of fat to separate the thigh and drumstick. Wiggle the joint as needed so it's easy to cut. Repeat with the other leg. I often just keep the thigh and drumstick together as a chicken quarter joint. Its up to you.
5. To remove the backbone, start at the head end of the bird and cut through the rib cage on one side of the backbone with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. Repeat on the other side of the backbone to remove it completely. (I like to reserve the backbone and neck for chicken stock.)
6.Now cut the breast into two halves. Place the breast skin-side down. To protect your hand, fold a kitchen towel and place it on top of a heavy, sharp knife. Use your weight to cut through the breast bone and cartilage down the center of the breast.
7. Now that you have two breast halves, if you think they are overly large, you can cut each breast half in half again, crosswise. The wishbone is located at the thick part of the breast. If you want, you can tease the meat away from the two pieces of wishbone using your hands and/or a sharp knife to scrape the meat from the bone.
The first time you cut up your own chicken it can be a bit intimidating, but once you have done it you will see how easy it is and each time you do it, it becomes that much easier.
It just makes sense to cut up your own when chicken is so expensive to buy already cut up. Why not line your own pockets with the cash rather than the grocery shop's!
I marinated and grilled skin on chicken breasts for this and I did push a bit of the marinade in between the skin and the breast as well when I was marinating them. This really got the flavors right in there.
You can use the chimichurri sauce on any cut of chicken however, so don't limit yourself. If you prefer thighs, then use them! I would do them boneless as well. I do like to keep the skin on when grilling as it helps to keep the chicken from drying out too much.
In any case I hope you will try this simple and delicious recipe. I would serve these with some lovely boiled and crushed potatoes and a vegetable on the side, or even rice. Something that will absorb all of those tasty juices! 😋
Grilled Chicken Breasts with Chimichurri Sauce
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 Mininactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 Hour
A wonderfully herby garlic sauce serves as both marinade and condiment to these delicious grilled chicken breasts. Amounts are for two, but can be doubled or tripled. You will need a food processor to make the sauce.
Ingredients
For the sauce and marinade:
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
- 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
- 2 TBS white wine vinegar
- 2 TBS water or chicken broth
- 1/3 tsp dried oregano
- 1/3 tsp dried basil
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the chicken:
- Two skin on boneless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 TBS of the chimichurri sauce
- 1 TBS olive oil
Instructions
- First make the chimichurri sauce. You will need a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the garlic cloves and puree. Add the parsley and chop finely. Add the oil, vinegar, water or broth and seasonings. Process to blend. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. It will be garlicky and spicy.
- Combine 1 1/2 TBS of the sauce with the olive oil in a bowl. Add the chicken breast to the bowl, turning to coat them. Marinate for half an hour at room temperature. (Alternately they can marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.)
- Preheat an outdoor grill, a grill pan, or an electric grill for medium heat grilling.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place onto the grill, presentation side down (skin side). Grill for 7 to 10 minutes. Flip over and grill for a further 7 to 10 minutes, until the chicken juices run clear. Timings depend on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts.
- Serve the breasts hot with the sauce on the side, ready for drizzling over them.
Notes:
This very versatile sauce goes with grilled steaks, lamb, pork or fish. It will keep for a few days, covered, in the refrigerator, but the parsley will not be as brightly coloured.
I was recently contacted and asked if I would like to try out some recipes which have been created by the acclaimed TV Chef Sophie Michell, to promote the new Blue Nun wines. (She is noted for Chanel 4's program, "Cook Yourself Thin.")
I was sent several recipes. There was one called Gold Leaf Sparkling Jellies with Iced Frozen Grapes and Creme Chantilly (using Blue Nun Sparkling Gold), as well as another one called, Cumin, Coriander and Ginger Marinated Lamb Cutlets with Saffron Rice and Pistachio Crumbs to be served with the Reisling. There wsa also a delicious looking Reisling Braised Chicken with Artichokes and Shallots and a Barbequed Sticky King Pao Chicken with Cashew, Carrot, Radish, Cucumber and Spring Onion Salad.
I chose the oriental recipe . . . the Barbequed Sticky Kung Pao Chicken. It looked tasty and we like a good Chinese dish. The recipe was missing the amount of radish to use, or how to use it, so I just sliced a few radishes into the mix.
This is a YouTube video that you can watch to see how she did it.
This is how mine turned out! Delicious!!
*Barbequed Sticky Kung Pao Chicken*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
A beautiful chicken dish, spicy and finger lickin sticky good!
8 boneless & skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
For the Marinade:
2 TBS dark soy sauce
1 TBS Sherry, or for a lower sugar marinade use Blue Nun River Riesling
1 tsp honey
1 tsp hot chili flakes
For the Salad:
1/2 head of Chinese white cabbage
3 spring onions
1 carrot
1 red chili, depending on how much heat you like
50g of roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
For the Dressing:
4 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp Chinese rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients in a deep tray or dish. Add the chicken thighs. Open them up and turn them around to coat and cover them in the marinade. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for as long as possible. (Up to 24 hours and no less than 1 hour.)
To make the salad, peel and cut the carrot into very thin strips. Add to a large mixing bowl. Cut the spring onions thinly on a sharp diagonal. Add these to the bowl as well. Cut the Chinese Cabbage down the middle, core and then slice thinly. Add to the mix. Deseed the cucumber and thinly slice as well. Add this to the bowl and mix all of the ingredients together well.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
When you are ready to eat, heat up a grill to very hot. Take the chicken out of the marinade. Discard any marinade left in the dish. Place the chicken onto the hot grill tray and cook for 8 minutes per side, until cooked throughout and nicely caramelized.
Add the dressing to the salad and toss all together. Divide the salad amongst 4 plates and top each with the grilled chicken, and a sprinkle of the chopped nuts. (She used peanuts in the video)
A glass of Rivaner Reisling (Fresh, Crisp and Fruity) is recommended as a good wine to serve with this dish.
Of course as a Mormon, I really can't give an opinion on how this wine is as a drink, but here is what Sophie had to say:
The Rivaner Riesling is really a super match for most types of Asian and oriental style dishes, which I find can be really hard to match a wine with and a glug of this fresh, fruity wine is great in the marinade too.
There is a big trend for lower alcohol drinks at the moment, but some that I've tried are rather watery. However, the Blue Nun Delicate drinks (5.5% alcohol) however are packed with flavour and taste. They're ideal for the lazy summer days, picnics and bbq's. Or to serve as an aperitif when you want something refreshing and light to serve to guests.
They are made with full bodied aromatic wine and delicious fruit flavours such as white peach, mango, raspberry and lychee which taste delicious.
*Gold Leaf Sparkling Jellies with Iced Frozen Red Grapes and Creme Chantilly*
Makes 6
Ingredients:
600ml of Blue Nun Sparkling Gold White Wine
50ml of Elderflower cordial
1 TBS sugar
6 sheets gelatine
200g of red or green seedless grapes
200ml of double cream
2 tsp icing sugar
Firstly take the grapes and cut into little branches with 3 grapes per set, then place on a tray and pop into the freezer.
Soak the gelatine sheets in a small bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, put 100ml of the Blue Nun Sparkling Gold and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Squeeze the gelatin sheets to remove any excess water and stir into the wine mixture until dissolved.
Then mix the heated wine mix in with the rest of the wine (500ml), pour into a large bowl and place into the fridge. Leave for at least an hour, then check and stir. Basically you keep doing this until the mix has thickened enough for the gold flakes to not sink to the bottom.
When ready pour into four individual metal pudding moulds, about 200ml/7 fl oz/ generous 3/4 cup capacity if you want to turn the panna cotta out onto dessert plates, or into four pretty serving bowls. Put into the fridge to set for at least 2 more hours, or overnight. Then pour the cream and icing sugar into a bowl and whip until soft peaks form.
If the Panna Cottas are in metal molds, pour boiling water into a bowl and quickly dip the moulds into the water before turning them upside down on to dessert plates. Then add a dollop of the cream and some of the frozen grapes.
Serve with a glass of sparkling gold.
Sophie says: The Gold Flecks were such a talking point for my girl friends and I. I just adore the way the bubbles rise the gold flakes to the surface. Very Glam!
You can check out her other videos on YouTube as well. The Lamb one looks delicious as well.
Many thanks to Megan for sending me this lovely wine to cook with and to Blue Nun Wines.
Make sure you check out their page online, there's a lot of information there on the wines and stockists, etc. Also be sure to check out their Facebook Page!
Blue Nun Rivaner Riesling is available to buy in most UK supermarkets including Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Nisa and Tesco with an RRP of around £5.99 for a 750ml bottle.
Blue Nun Medium White is available in Tesco and J Sainsbury.
Blue Nun Medium Red, White and Rose are all available in Nisa.
Blue Nun Sparkling Gold edition is available to buy at £9.59 on-line from www.drinksdirect.co.uk
Blue Nun Delicate Stills have a recommended retail price of £3.99 and the Blue Nun Delicate Sparkling have a recommended price of £5.99, both for a 750ml bottle. All of the Blue Nun Delicates are currently available to buy from Home Bargain stores across the UK only www.homebargains.co.uk
Please do remember that if you are going to drink, you should so so responsibly.
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 love all of the baby new potatoes at the markets at the moment. The Jersey Royals are in the shops now, and I know that not all of you have those available to you, but there are also other tasty new potatoes out there to be had. They are not so good for mashing ( I had a bad experience with that when I was younger, DUH! Live and learn!) but are great boiled until tender and served with herb butter, or for use in potato salads.
They are also great boiled and then roasted like this. These little babies get all crispy on the outsides . . . and stay moreishly fluffy on the insides.
A few flakes of sea salt . . . a good grinding of black pepper . . . and some fresh rosemary leaves . . . and you have tasty little bits fit for a king.
We love 'em just as they are. Great with beef, fish, chicken, pork or lamb.
*Smashed Roasted New Potatoes*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
This is a great way to cook baby new potatoes. Crisp on the outsides and soft and fluffy inside.
16 small new potatoes, unpeeled
2 TBS light olive oil
a few sprigs fresh rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 230*C/450*F/ gas mark 8. Place a baking tray into the oven to heat.
Toss the potatoes together with 1 TBS of the oil to coat. Spread them out onto the hot baking tray. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Flip the potatoes over and then gently squash them down with the back of a large metal spoon. Strip the leaves from the rosemary sprigs and sprinkle over top along with some sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with the remainder of the oil.
Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes, until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown.
I really love Jersey Royals. They are a tad bit sweeter than normal potatoes and have a very unique flavour due to the provenance of them and the way they are grown! Mmm . . . I wish everyone could try them. In any case this recipe will still be tasty with any new potato. Bon Appetit!
I know it may not seem like it, but I do try to eat as healthily as possible most of the time. We eat very little red meat . . . and I only very rarely deep fat fry anything.
We often eat chicken or fish, or no meat at all, but we always have lots of vegetables.
WE love vegetables and by that I don't mean tinned peas and carrots, although, I suppose they are better than no vegetables at all!
This is one of my favourite dishes this time of year. It's somewhat a break away from stodgy winter food . . . light and colourful too. Light in flavour, texture and fat and calories as well.
The chicken is flash fried in a very small amount of oil . . . it is crispy on the outside and yet tender and moist on the insides because it hasn't been over cooked. The light breadcrumb coating is delicious.
The greens are wonderful . . . a bit salty from the pancetta, smokey and slightly sour, and tasting of the earth and well . . . spring!
The two together are wonderfully delicious! All you need as a side dish is some tasty steamed baby new potatoes and a juicy wedge of lemon for squeezing over the chicken!
Roll on Spring! I am feeling frisky like a newborn lamb and anxious for some sunshine!
*Chicken Scaloppine with Spring Greens*
Serves 4
Flash cooked chicken breast, moist and tasty served along side some lightly sauteed spring greens. Low fat and healthy too!
1 TBs olive oil
2 ounces fine dry bread crumbs (1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp dried oregano, rubbed between your fingertips
1/4 tsp dried basil, rubbed between your fingertips
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
5 (6 ounces) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
100g of pancette, cut into cubes (about 1/4 cup)
4 ounces dry white wine (1/2 cup)
4 ounces chicken stock (1/2 cup)
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 tsp butter
1 pound of spring greens, sliced crosswise
2 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 TBS capers, rinsed and drained
Place the chicken breast between two sheets of cling film and give them a bash with the side of your rolling pin until they are about 1/4 inch thick, taking care not to tear them.
Mix the bread crumbs and seasonings together on a large shallow plate. Coat the chicen breasts in this mixture, patting them to help the crumbs adhere well.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken breasts for about 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned and just done through.
Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Add the pancetta to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until they are nicely browned.
Add the wine, broth, lemon juice and butter to the pan, scraping the pan to loosen up any tasty bits.
Add the sliced spring greens. Cook and toss in the pan juices for several minutes, then cover and allow to steam until done, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley and capers.
Divide the greens amongst four heated plates. Top each with a chicken scaloppine and serve immediately.
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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