Showing posts sorted by relevance for query sandwich. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query sandwich. Sort by date Show all posts
I am one of those people who never minds paying full price for a good roasting chicken, and that is because, with all of my years of cooking experience, I have mastered the art of making my chicken pay for itself.
How do I do that you might well ask, and today I am going to show you how. Let me set the scenario.
You've cooked your Sunday Roast Chicken, fed it to the family, and have cleared up all of the dirty dishes and pans. You may even have stripped the carcass of all of the meat and are sitting there staring at the empty bones. You feel like throwing them away, and maybe you do, or maybe you carefully wrap them up and stick them in the refrigerator, where, just a few days later, you end up tipping them out because you failed to use them when you should have done.
To my way of thinking a good roast chicken is something which can give to you again and again and again. I always, ALWAYS get at least three meals from my roast chickens. It's just a matter of thrift, ingenuity, and planning.
I don't mind spending fifteen or twenty dollars on a good fat roasting chicken because I know that in the long run that chicken is going to help me feed four people at least three meals. Even at twenty dollars, that amounts to roughly six dollars and a few cents per meal. Probably even less than you will pay for a pound of hamburger.
Today my goal is to show you how to eke as much out of that Roast Chicken you thought was so expensive that you can. With only a few simple steps you, too, can make your chicken pay for itself!
STEP ONE - This begins right at the store. Buy the largest, fattest, best chicken that you can afford. I usually buy one that is at least 2 1/2 to 3 pounds in weight. I like free range chickens, because I think they taste better, and I like to support good animal husbandry. I will also buy an organic, or free-from (no anti-biotic) chicken, and air-chilled if I can.
STEP TWO - Roast your chicken using a reliable recipe that will give you optimum flavor, without drying out the bird. I can highly recommend any of my Roast Chicken Recipes. I know I am a bit biased, but, my goal here in the English Kitchen has always been share the best with you.
STEP THREE - Prepare plenty of sides to serve with your chicken. In my home it is usually potatoes or rice of some sort, and two to three vegetables. Sometimes I even roast the vegetables with the chicken. That way when it comes to serving up your chicken, you can be generous with the sides and serve smaller servings of the meat and nobody will feel that they have been cheated.
I can highly recommend the following sides:
Of course, you don't have to make all of your sides fancy. Plain steamed vegetables are always good, just don't be stingy with any of them. Let your family and or guests fill up on the vegetables, not the chicken. A good GRAVY also helps.
This way you can give each person a reasonable serving of the roast chicken without going over the top. Aim to eat only half of the chicken on the day you roast it and then you will have the remainder to use on another day.
STEP FOUR - When you are stripping your chicken after the meal, set aside a good amount to use for another meal, such as a casserole, salad or sandwiches, hot or cold, or even a pot pie. You don't need a lot of chicken to put in a pot pie and if you have been careful enough to make LOTS of gravy, your family won't even notice that their pot pie isn't loaded with chicken.
Don't strip the bones down until they are bare, leave some meat on them. I usually save the wings and then the whole carcass with a fair amount of meat on it to make soup. It's okay if you don't feel like making soup right away. Simply wrap the bones up tightly and freeze them for later on in the week.
Here are some really fabulous ways to use up some of that cooked chicken meat:
.JPG "HOT CHICKEN SALAD")
STEP FIVE - Use those bones and the carcass to make a delicious soup. It's not really hard to make a basic stock or delicious chicken soup and your family will always appreciate it. Even if you only use the bones to make a delicious stock and then freeze it, you have created the barebones of a fabulous risotto or a soup, and they will not have gone to waste.
Here are some of our favorite chicken soups:
There is a wonderful old saying that when you eat a pig you should eat everything but the squeal, I would like to switch that out to say when you eat a chicken you should eat everything but the cluck! I think that if you follow my tips and suggestions, you can feel proud that you have done just that, using up every scrap of the yard bird and in the most delicious ways! Effectively, you have actually made your Roast Chicken pay for itself, and in these modern times when money is tight, don't we all need to be able to do this?
I'll be back tomorrow with something new!
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!!
With Valentines Day coming up this week, and my stove being out of commission, I thought it would be fun to do something different and create a delicious picnic for my sweetie pie and I to share for the occasion. Its really fun to do and really doesn't take a lot of work.
The weather has been right miserable lately, but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy a picnic. Some of the nicest picnics can be shared right within the four walls of your comfy home!
The centre piece of my picnic was a delicious Buffalo Chicken Salad that I threw together. You will find the recipe below for a basic chicken salad and 10 variations. This is just one of them, and I can tell you it is really tasty!
I had a good old rummage around the refrigerator this morning while my husband was out and by the time he came home, I had a picnic feast for two more than ready.
We had some leftover potato salad and coleslaw from the other day, so that was packed into a container for sharing . . .
I always have lots of cheeses on hand, chutney's and crackers and so I did up a small cheese tray for us to enjoy. I used some vintage white cheddar, Danish blue, wensleydale with cranberries and boursin cheeses.
I put the chutney into a small Bonne Maman Jar and an assortment of crackers and some butter for spreading in a sandwich container. Be sure to include a knife for cutting up the cheeses and a spoon for the chutney.
You will want a toasted baguette or crisp breads to have with the chicken salad, or even some salad greens. My husband isn't one much for salad greens, so I had soft baguettes for him. No toasting today as there is no oven.
There was a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie in the refrigerator (his favourite pie) and some cheese and onion rolls, so I added a container with them, as well as some English Mustard for him to enjoy with a slice of pie. I also had some black and green grapes, so I washed some of them and put them into another container.
Something sweet is always welcome, so I added a container of his favourite biscuits/cookies and some fruit yogurts.
I also added the required cutlery, dinner plates and glasses, along with some tea light candles (for romance), a blanket to sit on, a book of poetry to share with each other and a fun game to play.
A bottle of sparkling apple juice was the finishing touch. I then packed it into our picnic basket . . . its a red metal one with chrome handles that I bought several years back.
I think its really pretty, although in all truth a wicker one is better as this one is quite heavy once you get it packed. It didn't all quite fit inside, but no matter we weren't going very far . . .
And with there being two of us, we carried the juice separately along with the bread, games and poetry.
As I said, we did not have far to go!
My husband was pleasantly surprised when he got home. I put some nice music on for us to listen to and in all truth, we sat at the table . . . these old bones of ours are not fond of floor sitting, not anymore . . .
It was a really nice spread . . .
I had my chicken salad on salad greens . . . my husband, of course, did not. Oh well . . .
The star of course was the chicken salad. I did the Buffalo Chicken version and it was absolutely fabulous.
The recipe comes from a magazine on chicken that I bought at the grocery store the last time I was visiting Canada. Its a lovely basic recipe . . . .
And then of course there are ten different variations . . . sure to suit every taste!
This really was a lot of fun! And it didn't really take a lot of effort on my part.
It made a change from the usual Winter bill of fare . . .
And injected a bit of sunshine and romance into what was simply a cold, blustery, rainy day!
Yield: 4
Chicken Salad with variations
With a few flavourful additions and basic ingredients you need never have boring Chicken Salad again.
ingredients:
For the basic salad: (see variations below)
- 1/2 pound cooked chicken, chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 2 thinly sliced spring onions (scallions)
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
- or salad dressing
- 1 tsp snipped fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp salt
instructions:
- Combine the chicken, celery, spring onions in a bowl. Mix together the mayonnaise, basil, lemon zest and salt. Fold dressing into the chicken and vegetables gently, to combine well. Cover and chill for 1 to 4 hours. Serve on bread, crackers, or salad greens.
Variations:
- 1. Buffalo Chicken - Omit Basil, stir in 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce.
- 2. Hawaiian - Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pineapple. Just before serving, stir in 1/4 cup chopped toasted macadamia nuts.
- 3. Mediterranean - Omit celery. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts and 1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese. Top with shredded basil.
- 4. Grape-Nut - Stir in 3/4 cup chopped seedless grapes. Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts.
- 5. Bacon-Egg-Tomato - Stir in two chopped hard boiled eggs. Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes. Top with crumbled cooked crisp bacon.
- 6. Spicy Chili - Omit Basil and lemon zest. Stir in 1 to 2 tsp mild chili powder. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds.
- 7. Cashew Curry - Stir in 1 to 2 tsp curry powder. Just before serving stir in 2 TBS chopped roasted cashew nuts. You can also add 2 TBS mango chutney with the mayonnaise.
- 8. Cucumber/Melon - Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup chopped cucumber and serve on melon wedges.
- 9. Coriander Lime - Omit basil and lemon zest. Stir in 1 TBS snipped fresh coriander (cilantro) and 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest. Top with toasted sesame seeds and chopped coriander.
- 10. Apple Pecan - Stir in 3/4 cup chopped fresh eating apple. Just before serving, stir in 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecan nuts.
Even if you don't want to do something like this for Valentines Day, it would be fun to just do it on any day to help chase away the Winter doldrums's and blues.
Happy Sunday and Bon Appetit!
I had the opportunity to go to Costco the other day with a friend and I stocked up on All Beef Hot Dogs. I love hotdogs, and I really like the all beef ones.
The only place you can get all beef hot dogs over here in the UK is at Costco, so when I get the chance to go, I stock up on them and bang them into the freezer. Their dogs are really good and have no fillers and a nice crisp skin.
I know that hotdogs are not the healthiest thing you could be eating, but every now and again, a bit of what you really enjoy does a person the world of good!
My mother made the best hotdogs in the world. She had a waffle/grill iron that you could use either as a grill or a waffle maker. Every Friday night she would fire up the grill plates in prep for Friday night hotdog night.
She didn't use quality dogs, just Larsens and they were not my favourite things . . . ordinarily, but her treatment with them made even a Larsen's hotdog taste good.
First off the buns would be buttered on the outsides and then toasted in the grill. She did this just like a grilled cheese sandwich.
They ended up all buttery and toasty on the surface, but still hot and steamy soft inside . . . delicious!
The weiners/franks would be split down the length almost all the way through so that they opened up like a book.
These would be placed cut side down onto the grill and then it would be shut and they would grill until golden brown on both sides.
If you have never tasted a weiner/frank that has been toasted in just this manner you have been missing out on something really special . . . they are quite simply wonderful. That was her secret.
Just the split weiners and the toasted buns. We added our own toppings. I like mustard and relish and have never ever been able to abide tomato catsup on any kind of bread! Its just one of my quirks!
I don't have a fancy grill/press. I did have a lovely cuisineart one, but it stopped working after using it a couple of times and I have never bothered to replace it.
Too expensive. I make do with my Pampered Chef grill pan and a baking sheet and some heavy weights. They get the job done.
The other day I added cheese which melted down over those toasty franks gilding them to perfection . . . I served them with sweet potato fries and we were in hot dog heaven.
I confess . . . I had one of the leftovers reheated in the microwave for breakfast the next morning and I was one very happy gluttonous camper!
*Grilled Cheese Dogs*
Serves 6
softened butter for spreading
6 frankfurters
You know it really is the simple things in life which bring me the most pleasure! 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 Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
When I first moved over here twelve years ago . . . there were some things that you just couldn't find. Things like Betty Crocker cake mixes, Marshmallow Fluff, and Skippy Peanut Butter, amongst other things. You never know what you will miss until you can't have it any more . . .
Over those years I have had to learn to adapt some of my favourite recipes to use other ingredients that are available over here . . . but there were still some things that you just couldn't adapt no way . . . no how. I used to bring back oodles of stuff each time I went over to Canada to visit my family. Todd used to do a lot of moaning about that . . . but I just reminded him of how he would feel if he couldn't get marmite anymore!
I'm happy to say though that in recent years quite a few things have become easily available . . . things like Gold Fish Crackers, Marshmallow Fluff, Skippy Peanut Butter and at least a few cake mix flavours . . . such as Devils Food and Carrot. I'm still waiting for Crab-Apple Jelly, Captain Crunch Cereal and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner to catch on . . . but I live in hope.
Being able to get some of these things though, means that I can now cook some of our favourite treats in my English Kitchen, like these delicious Brownies that I baked for the Missionaries yesterday . . .
Yes, they are a bit of a cheat because they use a boxed cake mix . . . but I know you won't hold that against me. I've tried through the years to develop my own base . . . but I just haven't been able to crack it just yet. The base for these is soooo moist and fudgy and chocolatey . . .
And that fluffer nutter topping. Fluffer nutter is a popular sandwich combination in North America . . . sandwiches spread with marshmallow cream and peanut butter. In fact I do believe that it is so popular that you can now find it already mixed in jars.
I think though . . . fluffer nutter sandwiches were an Amish invention . . . but you can feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
How can something that is soooo bad for you be soooo good!!
In any case, no matter if it is a cheat . . . and no matter where it comes from . . . you can now make them here . . . in the UK, and with British ingredients. The bottom line is this . . . they're fabulously delish and now I can make them here, at home . . . without dragging a heavy suitcase across the Atlantic, or paying an outrageous price at one of those speciality shops.
Life is very, very good.
*Fluffer Nutter Brownies*
Makes one 9 by 15 inch pan
Printable Recipe
These could not be easier, and they are fabulously, moreishly delicious! I bet you can't eat just one!
1 500g box of Devils food cake mix (Betty Crocker, double layer cake)
2 large free range eggs
125ml of sunflower oil (1/2 cup)
120g of smooth peanut butter (2/3 cup)
1/2 of a 213g jar of marshmallow cream (2/3 cup)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 397g tin of sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce)
a couple handfuls of milk or dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 13 by 9 inch baking dish really well. Set aside.
Mix together the oil, eggs and cake mix until well blended. Spread this mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
Whisk together the peanut butter, marshmallow cream, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk, until smooth and amalgamated. Spread this mixture evenly over top of the chocolate mix. Scatter the chocolate chips over top.
Bake for15 to 20 minutes, just until the edges are light golden brown and the centre is almost set. You want it to be a bit gooey. Allow to cool completely before cutting with a sharp knife into bars for serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for longer, allowing them to come to room temperature for serving
You can now buy Marshmallow Fluff at Asda and I believe Sainsbury's. The Cake mixes are pretty much available in all of the shops and you can get the Skippy Peanut Butter in Waitrose and Sainsbury's.
Are you looking for a quick and easy dessert that is delicious and yet won't take up a lot of time? Look no further! I bet you didn't know you could cook bread pudding in the air fryer.
Well you can, beautifully. This air fryer bread pudding has a golden crisp top and yes is beautifully soft and indulgent inside. It's perfectly sweet and goes together lickety split.
.JPG "Air Fryer Bread Pudding")
In fact you can be enjoying this delicious dessert in pretty much less than half an hour from when you put it together. (Excluding the time it takes to preheat the fryer.)
Not only that, but it uses relatively few simple ingredients to make it. Its also a great way to use up stale bread.
.JPG "Air Fryer Bread Pudding")
This is also the perfect summer dessert for when you want something a little bit heartier as there is no need to heat up the kitchen by having your oven on!
Quick and easy to make? Simple ingredients? Keeping the kitchen cool? Delicious as well? Count me in!!
.JPG "Air Fryer Bread Pudding")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AIR FRYER BREAD PUDDING
A few simple every day kitchen ingredients, a six inch cake tin or casserole dish and an air fryer.
You will need:
- 4 cups (140g) cubed white bread (3/4 inch cubes, Italian, French, Brioche, Challah)
- 4 TBS sultana raisins (golden)
For the custard:
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
- 5 TBS sugar
- 2 TBS melted butter (hot)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch salt
To serve:
- icing sugar (confectioners) to dust
- vanilla ice cream
.JPG "Air Fryer Bread Pudding")
The best breads to use are Brioche, French or Italian Bread or Challah. They give the nicest softest bread custard, but you can also use other kinds if you wish of that's all you have.
You can use stale sandwich bread, burger buns, hot dog rolls and dinner rolls. Place the cubes onto a baking sheet and let them air dry for a few hours prior to using.
You may also use a stale French baguette. In this case, assemble and allow the pudding to rest overnight in the refrigerator, covered.
.JPG "Air Fryer Bread Pudding")
Don't like raisins??? NO problem! Just use some fresh or frozen berries. If using frozen, thaw and drain first.
You can even use chopped dried apricots or date. Chocolate chips are also very nice. Just saying. 😉
.JPG "Air Fryer Bread Pudding")
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER BREAD PUDDING
You won't believe how simple this really is to make!! As I said you will need a six inch deep cake tin or casserole dish.
To make the custard, whisk the eggs in a bowl until emulsified. Whisk in the milk, cream, vanilla, salt and sugar. Whisk in the hot butter. (If the butter is hot it blends in better instead of coagulating.)
.JPG "Air Fryer Bread Pudding")
Butter a six-inch round cake tin or casserole really well. Add half of the bread cubes. Sprinkle 2 TBS of the sultana raisins over top. Pour over half of the custard. Press down lightly with the back of a spoon.
Repeat with the remaining bread cubes, sultanas and custard. Again pressing the bread down gently to submerge it in the custard.(Don't worry if it pops up again, you only want to dampen it all.)
.JPG "Air Fryer Bread Pudding")
Preheat the air fryer to 350*F/180*C for 15 minutes.
Place the pudding into the air fryer basket and into the air fryer. Cook for 15 minutes at 350*F/180*C. At this time the top should be nicely golden brown and a bread knife inserted near the center should come out clean. (If not done return to the air fryer and cook for a few minutes longer at the same temperature.)
Leave to set for about 10 minutes and then dust the top with icing sugar. Serve warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
.JPG "Air Fryer Bread Pudding")
I personally love this served warm with ice cream on top. I use my cookie scoop to scoop out several small balls of ice cream for each serving. I think it looks very pretty that way.
In the UK they would probably serve this with warm custard or cold pouring cream. Either way would be delicious also!
.JPG "Air Fryer Bread Pudding")
Wanting bread pudding, but don't have an air fryer? No problem, you can cook this in the oven if you wish. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.
Place the pudding dish into a Bain Marie holding hot water to come halfway up the sides of your baking dish. Bale for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
.JPG "Air Fryer Bread Pudding")
VANILLA SAUCED BREAD PUDDING - For those who enjoy a rich sauce with their bread puddings. Deliciously indulgent.
CHOCOLATE BOX BREAD PUDDING FOR TWO - A smaller sized bread pudding perfectly sized for two people in which you can use chopped up chocolate bars or leftovers from a box of chocolates. (What are those?)
SWEET ALMOND BREAD PUDDING WITH BLACKBERRY SAUCE - These little baby bread puddings have beautiful flavor and the sauce goes just perfect with them. They are great for entertaining.
Air Fryer Bread Pudding
Yield: 4
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 20 Min
You won't believe how quick and easy this dessert is to make. And all in the air fryer. No fuss, no muss and delicious! You will need a six-inch casserole or cake dish.
Ingredients
You will need:
- 4 cups (140g) cubed white bread (3/4 inch cubes, Italian, French, Brioche, Challah)
- 4 TBS sultana raisins (golden)
For the custard:
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
- 5 TBS sugar
- 2 TBS melted butter (hot)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch salt
To serve:
- icing sugar (confectioners) to dust
- vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- To make the custard, whisk the eggs in a bowl until emulsified. Whisk in the milk, cream, vanilla, salt and sugar. Whisk in the hot butter.
- Butter a six-inch round cake tin or casserole really well. Add half of the bread cubes. Sprinkle 2 TBS of the sultana raisins over top. Pour over half of the custard. Press down lightly with the back of a spoon. Repeat with the remaining bread cubes, sultanas and custard. Again pressing the bread down gently to submerge it in the custard.(Don't worry if it pops up again, you only want to dampen it all.)
- Preheat the air fryer to 350*F/180*C for 15 minutes.
- Place the pudding into the air fryer basket and into the air fryer. Cook for 15 minutes at 350*F/180*C. At this time the top should be nicely golden brown and a bread knife inserted near the center should come out clean. (If not done return to the air fryer and cook for a few minutes longer at the same temperature.)
- Leave to set for about 10 minutes and then dust the top with icing sugar. Serve warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
You can use stale sandwich bread, burger buns, hot dog rolls and dinner rolls. Place the cubes onto a baking sheet and let them air dry for a few hours prior to using.
You may also use a French baguette. In this case assemble and allow the pudding to rest overnight in the refrigerator, covered.
You can leave out the sultana raisins and use fresh or frozen berries (thaw and drain.)
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons