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
We've had some really cold days this past week or so, with heavy frosts on the ground in the morning and the days haven't warmed up too much either.
Before things get a chance to warm up the sun is setting, and things are chilling up again! Wintry, cold, damp . . . these days call for proper comfort food.
There is nothing we enjoy better on a cold damp night than a hot bowl of soup or stew. My husband's very favourite is a stew.
Stews are lovely. You can make them with beef, or lamb, pork, chicken . . . venison. Almost any kind of meat is good in a stew. Today I used beef.
My vegetables that I use for stew are pretty simple. Onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips, swede (rutabaga) . . . humble vegetables, comfort vegetables . . . winter vegetables. I like to cut them into a pretty uniform size.
I find there is something really mindful standing at the counter peeling and chopping. My mind is usually everywhere else and I am channelling my mom, nan, great nan, etc. I also add potatoes, but I cut those into larger chunks so that they don't disintegrate in the long oven braising time.
One secret to a really good stew is to brown your meat really well. You will want to do this in batches.
If you add too much to the pan at a time, it won't brown really well. There is a lot of flavour in the browning . . . so do it in small batches and . . .
brown it really well. Once you have it all browned you can add it back to the pan and add the aromatics . . . (I use a flame proof oven roasting/braising tin with a lid for this.)
By aromatics I mean onions, celery, leek . . . just bung them into the pan with the meat and cook and stir until the oven has softened . . .
I have a few secret ingredients . . . you can see them above. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but they add fab flavours!
The Balsamic adds a hint of red wine and sweet . . . the Worcestershire is a bit sharp and the Ketchup a bit of tomato and spice . . . back home I would add a splash of vinegar from a jar of sweet mixed pickles, but we don't get them over here in the UK.
I add the potatoes and some herbs and cover everything with beef stock/bullion, just to barely cover and I show a broken bay leaf right down into the mess.
Did you know that breaking a bay leaf in half helps to release its flavours? Now you do . . .
And that's it pretty much, cover it tightly and bang it into the oven to oven braise for 2 or 3 hours. I check it every now and then to make sure its not boiling dry.
You can add a little bit more of stock if it is. The stews done when the beef and vegetables are tender.
The gravy will be nice and thick and beautifully flavoured with all of those browned meat juices and aromatics, herbs, etc.
The vegetables add lots of flavour also . . . yummy.
I like to serve it with plenty of crusty bread to help sop up all of those delicious juices . . . .
If you wanted to you could add a cup of frozen peas to the stew about half an hour before it's finished for colour. Its delicious either way.
Beef Stew
Yield: 6
A satifisfying dish on a cool and wet and wintery evening. Long slow cooking ensures that the meat is melt in the mouth tender.
ingredients:
- 3 TBS olive oil
- 2 onions, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 leek, trimmed, washed and sliced
- 1 stick celery, trimmed and chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled, sliced in half and then cut into half moon chunks
- 2 parsnips, peeled, quartered and sliced into 2 inch long bits
- 1/4 of a small swede, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (rutabaga)
- 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
- 2 1/2 pounds good quality beef stew meat, cut into cubes
- 2 TBS plain flour
- 2 pints beef stock (5 cups, or to cover)
- 1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 TBS tomato ketchup
- 1 bay leaf, broken
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley to garnish at the end
instructions:
How to cook Beef Stew
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
- Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large flame proof casserole. Add the beef cubes, working in batches. Try not to overcrowd the pan. Brown well on all sides. Scoop out to a bowl and continue to brown the meat until all is browned. Add the onions and celery. Cook, stirring until the onion has turned translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute and then the herbs, seasoning and flour. Stir to combine. Cook for about a minute and then add the remaining vegetables and the stock. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, Ketchup and Balsamic vinegar. Add the bay leaf and cover tightly. Pop into the preheated oven and oven braise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at which time the vegetables and meat should all be tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Spoon the stew into heated bowls to serve. Crusty bread goes very well!
I confess one thing I have always loved to do with stew, since I was a child is to mashe the potatoes up in that stew gravy . . . and if I am feeling a bit indulgent I will dot a bit of butter on top so it melts down into everything. Yes, I AM naughty like that sometimes!
This Pasta with Chicken Broth, Butter & Cheese that I am sharing with you today is a beautiful example of simple and uncomplicated foods. Food done well and put together in a most delicious way.
These are my favourie kinds of recipes. I just love them. Its how I like to cook most of the time. I am so done with complications in my life, let alone in my food.
There are several things that I always keep in my larder. One of them is a variety of pasta shapes, from the always popular spaghetti right on down to rice shaped orzo.
I love pasta, and would eat it in any way shape or form. My husband, however . . . is not so sure! More for me!
He does always eat whatever I put in front of him. He is a fan of pinching the pennies, and so he didn't complain overly much when I served him this.
Plus there was still some Baby Sticky Toffee Pudding Cakes, leftover from the other day for afters. Who can complain about that!
Another thing I always keep in my store cupboard is a variety of stock cubes and gel pots. Chicken, vegetable, beef, ham, lamb, etc.
Stock and pasta are the basis of this very simple and yet delicious dish in which pasta is quite simply cooked in a quantity of stock . . . It doesn't get much easier than this.
Cooking the pasta in the stock infuses it with lots of flavour. The starch from the pasta actually serves to thicken the stock somewhat into a sauce,
A miracle of chemistry.
The knob of butter added at the end doesn't hurt either . . . . just sayin' You will hear no complaints from me.
Butter, pasta, cheese . . . all weaknesses.
This is one dish where you want to cook the pasta at a slow simmer. To boil it in the stock would mean that too much of the stock would evaporate.
You want to keep as much of the stock in the pot as possible for that sauce. A low simmer does the trick perfectly.
As you can see, I had plenty of stock left to ladle over the cooked pasta for the sauce. You don't want it to be overly soupy, but neither do you want it to be dry.
I used a very small elbow macaroni for this today, but any small pasta shape works well. Ditali, orzo, any small pasta shape.
You want ideally one that will cook in less then 10 minutes. So make sure you check the package for a cook time.
If you use a good stock you shouldn't need any seasoning, other than coarse black pepper. The stock should be salty enough.
Do make sure you use a quality stock however. Most of the flavour of the dish will becoming from that.
Me, I always like a good grinding of black pepper on everything. My father is the same. He loves a good lot of pepper on everything.
So much so that I am often aghast at just how much he uses and I wonder at how he can taste anything beyond pepper!
Garnished with some freshly grated Parmesan Cheese and a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley this was a real treat for me.
Comfort in a bowl . . . it doesn't get much better than this. Some hot buttered toast on the side goes very well.
Yield: 2
Pasta with Chicken Broth, Butter & Cheese
This is essentially comfort food. Quick to make and very simple. We enjoy it with slices of hot buttered toast.
ingredients:
- 950ml chicken broth (4 cups)
- 230g small pasta shapes (small macaroni, small shells, orzo, ditali, stilleti, etc.) (2 cups)
- 30g butter (1/4 cup)
- 50g finely grated Parmesan Cheese (1/4 cup)
- coarse pepper
- chopped fresh parsley or basil
instructions:
How to cook Pasta with Chicken Broth, Butter & Cheese
- Put the chicken stock into a large heavy based saucepan. Bring to the boil and then stir in the pasta. Reduce immediately to a low simmer. Cook as per pasta package instructions, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking. Don't be tempted to boil it as you will most definitely run out of stock. This is meant to be cooked at a very slow simmer. Once the pasta is cooked, remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Grind some pepper into the pot and stir.
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the pasta to two heated bowls. Ladle any stock left in the saucepan over each, dividing it equally. Sprinkle each with half the cheese and a spoonful of chopped herbs. Serve immediately.
It is the simple meals like this that I enjoy most of all. I have never made it for any more than two people, but if I was going to do so, I would cook it in separate pots. This really is a delicious doddle!
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 Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I think I am becoming more adventurous in my old age when it comes to food. That's probably because I don't have fussy children in the house to please any more.
My husband is not a fussy eater. He doesn't really like pasta or chocolate, but he pretty much eats whatever I put in front of him.
I really enjoy the freedom I have now to explore and cook whatever I desire (within reason) and a variety of flavours and ethnic dishes, etc.
I have discovered in later years that I really enjoy Mediterranean and Middle East flavours!
I was sent some lovely Greek Flat Breads the other day and took advantage of them to make these fabulous Easy Chicken Gyros. (Yee-ros)
The Greek Flat Breads are from Deli Kitchen and they are just beautiful. Soft and flexible they are perfect for recipes such as this!
Gyros are a Greek sandwich which consists of grilled meat (chicken, lamb, beef or pork) which has been marinated in a delicious marinade prior to grilling, sliced and layered onto a flat bread along with some salad and some creamy Tzatzki sauce.
Sound yummy? They are incredibly tasty to say the least!
They are a popular sandwich found in many takeaways here in the UK. Along with a lamb/beef version.
I prefer to make them at home so that I know exactly what goes into them. (I have seen too many horror stories on the television about the cleanliness in these types of establishments!!)
They are really a very easy sandwich to make and quite quick if you do a bit of planning ahead of time.
Today I used chicken thighs which I had marinated in a fabulously tasty, garlicky, yogurty, oregano rich marinade.
You want to plan ahead a bit as you will want to marinate the chicken for a while before grilling it. Ideally about 12 hours, but certainly no less than 2 hours.
This makes it the perfect quick supper for a week night. Just pop the chicken into marinate while you are out all day at work or school or whatever and then pop it onto the grill when you get home!
Along with the grilled chicken you will need Tzatziki sauce. This is a cool cucumber/yogurt sauce.
You can use a good ready made one, but it is really quite simple to make your own, and infinitely tastier!
You also will want a simple salad garnish. Tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, parsley.
You can mix all of this together with some seasoning and just spoon it on, or you can leave things individually so that people can help themselves.
That is the way we do it in this house as my husband doesn't like much cucumber, but he does like the tomatoes and onions. That way he can please himself.
The chicken is simply grilled. For the most flavour you can do it on the outdoor grill (especially nice in the summer months) or you can pop it under the oven grill, or even in an electric grill.
Whatever is easiest for you and brings you joy! Let it sit for a few minutes after to settle the juices and then slice into bits, ready for layering on the flat breads.
You warm your flat breads while the chicken is resting, then dollop on some of that Tzatziki sauce, some salad fixings and the grilled chicken . . . ready to roll up, secure and enjoy!
Now that's what I call proper tasty!
Quick, easy and DELICIOUS! What more could you want???
Easy Chicken Gyros
Yield: 2 - 3
A small proportioned recipe for the smaller family. Delicious marinated chicken thighs, grilled and served wrapped in a lovely flat bread along with Tzatziki Sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers and chopped red onion. Easily doubled to feed more.
ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 TBS olive oil
- 1 1/2 TBS Greek yogurt
- 3 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Tzatziki:
- 3/4 of an English cucumber, deseeded, grated and squeezed to remove as much juice as possible
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 fresh TBS lemon juice
- 1/2 TBS olive oil
- 1/4 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
You will also need:
- 2 to 3 soft Greek Flat Breads
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 ripe tomato, deseeded and diced
- 2 - 3 TBS finely chopped red onions
- a small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
- salt and pepper as needed
instructions:
How to cook Easy Chicken Gyros
- First put the chicken in to marinate. (You should do this at least two hours ahead of time, and up to 12 hours ahead of time. Mix together all of the marinade ingredients in a plastic refrigerator container. Add the chicken and turn it to coat on all sides. Put the lid on and then place in the refrigerator to marinate.
- To make the Tzatziki, make sure your cucumber has been squeezed quite dry, then put it into a bowl and stir together with the remaining ingredients. Set aside for about 20 minutes in order for the flavours to meld well together.
- To make the salad for the Gyros, mix together the cucumbers, onion, tomato and parsley. Season to taste with some salt and black pepper. Alternately you can just lay the ingredients out on a plate and let people help themselves.
- When you are ready to serve, heat the grill to high. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding any marinade. Grill the chicken on the grill for about 2 to 3 minutes per side., until golden brown and cooked through.
- Cut the chicken into pieces. Keep warm while you warm your flat breads as per package instructions.
- To serve top each flat bread with some of the Tzatziki sauce, a portion of the chicken and some of the salad. Roll up, secure and enjoy!
Oh so yummy. You can get these new Deli Kitchen Greek Flat breads at Sainsburys! They're excellent! The Canadian in me just loves messy eat with your hands food. My husband . . . he prefers a knife and fork. He is just so proper British!
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@aol.com
If you are a regular reader of my page you will remember that a few months back I went with a friend to a Moroccan restaurant for lunch one day and fell totally in love with Moroccan food . . . exotic North African food which is big on flavour, aroma and spice.
A Tagine is a type of a Moroccan stew which has been named after the clay pot it is traditionally cooked in. Wide and round at the base with a lid that is tall and tapered at the top with a small circular opening which is designed to return a lot of the condensation to the bottom of the dish, resulting in a stew which is rich, moist and luscious. You can of course replicate this effect by adding a paper cartouche to an ordinary flame proof casserole dish with a lid.
A cartouche is merely a circle of crumpled grease paper with a hole cut out of the centre. It works just as beautifully. Today I used my Le Creuset casserole dish with a cartouche.
Some of the flavours traditionally used in Moroccan food would be things like cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, coriander, saffron, mace, nutmeg, cloves, fennel, anise, cayenne, fenugreek, caraway, black pepper and sesame seed . . . so think warm spices, sweet spices, fragrant spices . . .
Their food can also be characterised by the use of dried fruits and citrus, which when combined with meat, fish or poultry, and the warm fragrant spices makes for a wonderful combination . . .
You will also find sauces which are frequently thickened by using ground nuts. Wholesome and again . . . flavourful.
This dish today uses chicken thighs . . . traditionally you would use bone in and skin on thighs, but all I had was the boneless, skinless ones, because we try to eat as lean as we can. They worked fine.
Along with the chicken thighs . . . I have used ground cumin, cinnamon, ginger and paprika . . . along with salt and black pepper . . . very aromatic.
The sauce also contains finely chopped onion and ground almonds . . .
Whole dried apricots provide a sweetness that goes very well with the chicken and other flavours . . .
I always buy the natural ones for the most part, which haven't been treated with sulphur They are not as bright orange and jewel-like as the other ones, but they are filled with untainted flavour . . .
Just use what you have . . . I am thinking a handful of prunes would also go very well.
A handful of chopped mint goes in along with the apricots . . . adding a lovely flavour as well . . . mint is a really under-used herb. Its quite common to serve it with lamb, but it goes very well in this dish.
Our house smelled lovely while this was cooking . . .
I served it with some cooked brown basmati rice, but couscous would be much more traditional.
Tagine of Chicken with Apricots & Mint
Yield: 4
A delicious Moroccan stew of chicken thighs and apricots. You can either cook it in a heavy flame proof casserole dish or a clay tagine pot.
ingredients:
- 3 1/2 TBS butter
- 6 X free range or organic chicken thighs
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- freshly ground sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 100g ground almonds (1 generous cup)
- the juice and finely grated zest of one large orange
- 600ml light chicken stock (2 1/2 cups)
- 175g of soft dried apricots (I use the ones cured without sulphur, scant 1 cup)
- 3 TBS chopped fresh mint, plus more to garnish
instructions:
How to cook Tagine of Chicken with Apricots & Mint
- Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3.
- Melt the butter in the bottom of a large heavy casserole dish. Add the chicken, 3 pieces at a time, and brown until golden brown all over, removing to a plate as you go along, and repeating until all the chicken has been browned. Add the onions to the drippings, along with the spices, and cook, stirring, until the onions have begun to soften and the whole mixture is very fragrant. Stir in the ground almonds, orange zest and orange juice. Nestle in the browned chicken thighs and pour the stock over all, giving it a good stir.
- Cover with a cartouche. A cartouche is a circle of crumpled baking paper with a hole cut from the centre. Cover with the lid of the casserole dish and place into the preheated oven. Roast for half an hour.
- Remove from the oven. Discard the cartouche. Stir in the dried apricots and the chopped mint. Return to the oven and roast for a further 20 minutes, uncovered. at this point the meat should be tender and falling from the bones. The apricots should be lovely and plump and the sauce thickened.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Sprinkle with a bit more mint and serve. Couscous or rice go very well with this.
If you are a family that usually opts for a Chinese or an Indian meal on Saturday nights, I challenge you to try Moroccan for a change! I think you will be pleasantly surprised! A flat bread would be nice with this to help sop up all of that delicious gravy!
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