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The Well Stocked Kitchen

Tuesday, 23 March 2021

 
 
 The Well Stocked Kitchen 

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

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

Every item in your  kitchen/pantry should have:

1. A long shelf life.
2. Great versatility. You should be able to turn to them for a wide variety of recipes.
3. Be "season"-less. You should be able to use these items, regardless of what time of year it is.


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

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


The Well Stocked Kitchen
 

Essential Tools and Equipment 

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

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

Roasting tins (One medium and one large)

Casserole dishes (small, medium and large)

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

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

A good vegetable peeler.

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

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

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

Several wooden spoons.

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

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

Fine meshed sieves in a few sizes

A medium to large sized colander

A blender (either a stick or a full sized)

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

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

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

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

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

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

A pastry blender and a potato masher.

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

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

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

Ice cube trays

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

Nice to have but not necessary


Toaster
Kettle
Toaster oven
Food processor
Stand mixer
Citrus juicer
Salad spinner



The Well Stocked Kitchen 


In the Pantry 


Spices and Herbs 

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

For cooking 

Sea salt (fine and flaked)
Black pepper, ground and whole peppercorns
Parsley flakes
Dried Basil
Dried Oregano
Ground Cumin
Garlic and Onion Powders
Paprika (smoked and sweet)
Chili powder
Chili flakes
any favorites that you know you will use frequently

For baking


Ground cinnamon
whole nutmegs
cloves (ground and whole)
dried powdered ginger
ground cardamom

Dry Goods


All purpose flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Cocoa powder
Granulated sugar
Light or dark brown sugar
Icing sugar
Oatmeal
Chocolate (chips and darker chocolate for baking)
An assortment of canned beans (only what you think you will use)
Dry pasta (at the very least elbow macaroni and spaghetti)
Dried beans and lentils
Rice
Cooking oil (Canola, light olive)
Extra virgin olive oil (for salads)
Vinegar (a good balsamic, white and red wine, cider)
Good canned tuna
Coconut milk
Several tinned soups
Good canned tomatoes (whole and chopped, in juice)
Tomato paste
Olives (green and black)
Beef, chicken and vegetable broths (canned, tetra bricks or powdered)
Smooth peanut butter
Honey
Maple Syrup
onions
potatoes and or sweet potatoes
garlic

 
The Well Stocked Kitchen 

The Refrigerator


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

Eggs
Cheese
Butter
Yeast
Lard
Plain yogurt
Cream (heavy and sour)
Milk (2% and buttermilk)
A good mayonnaise
A good Dijon mustard (also a grainy if possible)
Pickles (both sweet and sour cornichons)
Jams or jellies as desired (I always have strawberry jam and orange marmalade)
Lemons, limes, oranges (I always have lemons and buy the others as needed)
Apples
Fresh lettuce
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Celery 
Spring onions
Fresh herbs as needed


The Well Stocked Kitchen 

In the Freezer


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

Meats, etc.

Chicken ( breasts and thighs, boneless, skinless) 
Fish ( I like cod, haddock and salmon)
Ground beef (I buy grass fed organic lean)
Pork chops (I like bone in)
Beef Steak ( both a stewing and a frying)
Stew beef or lamb

Miscellaneous


Bread Crumbs (regular and panko)
Nuts (usually walnuts and pecans)
Coconut (flaked and desiccated)
Frozen fruit
Frozen vegetables
A variety of frozen juices (apple and orange)
Pastry (all butter puff and regular short crust)
a few individual sized ready meals for just in case



The Well Stocked Kitchen


Use it up, don't throw it out 


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

Canned Items


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

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

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

Other Items

Avocado - Did you know you can freeze avocado?  It freezes perfectly and works well in salads, sandwiches, mashed, or guacamole once thawed. 
Halves -Just cut them in half lengthwise, place them on a tray, and sprinkle each half with lemon juice. Freeze until solid and then pack into airtight bags or containers.
Cubed - Cube and do as above.
Mashed - Mash with a bit of lemon juice, pack into a zip lock baggie, removing as much air as possible, freeze flat.  

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

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

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

Cheese - Remove your opened cheeses from the plastic wrap.  Wrap in parchment paper and then in aluminum foil, label and then store in the refrigerator.  The paper allows the cheese to breathe and the foil protects it from absorbing other flavors from the fridge, and helps to keep it from drying out.
If you have feta cheese and it didn't come in a brine, pop it into a  small zip-lock bag or container and pour in just enough oil to cover it. You can keep it this way in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.  Cheese can also be frozen, wrapped tightly in plastic cling film and then placed into a zip lock baggie. It will keep for up to two months. You can defrost it overnight in the refrigerator when you want to use it, or at room temperature for 2 1/2 hours. 

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

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

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


The Well Stocked Kitchen  

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

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

This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com. 

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Raspberry Celebration Cake

Wednesday, 24 July 2013

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I can remember when Prince William was born and how exciting it was.  I was pregnant the same time as Princess Diana and so Wills was always a bit special to me because he is the same age as our Douglas and I felt the whole way through my pregnancy that Diana was feeling the same way as I did!

I have followed his whole life, and that of Harry's with great interest actually.   I am a Royalist at heart and love all of the Royal Family, warts-n-arl as my late good friend Angie would have said.

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I was thrilled beyond measure when he and Katherine Middleton got married in 2011.   It was such a beautiful wedding and they are such a sweet young couple.  I have always wished them all the best.   I was so excited when we found out they were expecting their first child, third in line to the throne and absolutely ecstatic yesterday when Katherine, the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth  to their son!

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Once again my life and that of the Royal Family have paralleled each other,  as my youngest daughter was pregnant at this same time as Katherine and just gave birth a few weeks ago to . . . yes, our own little Prince . . . Cameron David, and yes, we are thrilled beyond belief about that as well!  All in all, it is a great time for a celebration!

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I can't show you a photo of the little Prince Windsor Mountbatten . . . but I can quite happily show you a photo of our little Prince.   I think he's just the cutest, but then again, I am the Grandmum!  Maybe Charles and I could share our bragging rights together!  In any case, a celebration calls for something spectacular to mark it's occurrence and that is just what this cake does!



In fact I can't think of a nicer cake you could bake to celebrate a special occasion!   This is always my go to for Birthdays and other celebrations.



It's a deliciously buttery sponge, filled with fresh raspberries and baked into two moist layers. Sandwiched together with a lovely vanilla butter cream icing and some seedless raspberry jam, and then drizzled with more sweetness. This is one very moreishly scrummy cake.



Just look at all of that raspberry scrumminess!!  This is a cake I wouldn't hesitate to bake and serve to Royalty . . . not Queens or Kings . . . or little Princes . . . or even Princesses . . .



Bake it for yourself . . . one bite will tell you how very right I am about this delightful cake.   Seriously. It is well worth the price of fresh berries and the time and effort to make it.  I do hope that you will make the effort and then come back and tell me all about it!

Congratulations to Prince William and his Duchess on this most wonderful occasion.  May God bless you all.


photo RaspberryCelebrationCake_zpse7f09bfd.jpg

*Raspberry Celebration Cake*
Cuts into 12 scrummy slices
Printable Recipe

This is the cake I always bake for summer birthdays.  A light moist sponge, filled with lovely raspberries, butter cream icing and seedless raspberry preserves.  Top with a sweet glaze and serve with more raspberries.

For the Cake:
175g of caster sugar (3/4 plus 1/8 cup)
175g of butter, softened (13 TBS)
4 large free range eggs, separated
100g self raising flour (a scant 3/4 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
100g ground almonds (1 scan't cup)
a few drops of almond extract
125g of fresh raspberries (a heaped cup)

For the buttercream:
75g of butter, softened (1/4 cup approx.)
125g icing sugar, sifted (about 3/4 cup)
few drops vanilla

For the glaze:
100ml icing sugar sifted (1/3 cup approx.)
water to thin



Also about 4 heaped dessertspoons of seedless raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4.  Butter two 8 inch sandwich cake tins.  Line the bottoms with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Beat in the egg yolks.  Sift the flour and baking powder over the creamed mixture and then fold in using a metal spoon.   Fold in the ground almonds and exract.  Fold only until all traces of the flour have disappeared.

Beat the egg whites until they just hold their shape.  Fold them in gently, by thirds, being careful not to overmix and lose the lightness of the whites.  Lightly fold in the berries.  Divide between the two prepared cake tins and level off carefully.

Bake in the heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, just until they test done.  A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean and they should spring back when lightly touched on top.

Remove from the oven.  Let cool in the tins for five minutes, then tip out onto wire racks, peel off the baking paper and allow to cool completely.

Make the buttercream by beating together all the ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Place one cake, bottom side up on a cake plate.  Spread completely with all the buttercream.  Spread the raspberry jam over top of the buttercream and then top with the other cake layer, placing it right side up.  Whisk together the icing sugar for the glaze and enough water to make a smooth drizzable mixture.  Drizzle decoratively over the top of the cake.  Allow to set, then dust with more icing sugar if desired.

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Oh, and in case you haven't seen them  (Like what planet are you on if you haven't!)   here is the lovely trio.   I think they're such a sweet family and colour cor-ordinated too, and BLUE for the little Prince!  
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Italian Layer Bake

Friday, 10 August 2018


 

This recipe I am sharing today is one of those utterly simple ones that you are almost embarrassed to share, and yet so tasty that you find yourself  having to share because they are just too delicious not to!!!  So tasty that you want everyone to have a chance to enjoy them! 

 

You use a tin of refrigerated croissant dough for these delicious Italian Strata type of Sandwiches.  Layers of meat, roasted peppers and cheese  . . .  between layers of croissant dough . . . with a rich golden egg custard baked between the layers and gilding the top . . .

 

Dead simple to make  . . .  dead simple  . . .

 

Not the prettiest crayon in the box to be sure  . . . 


 

But the flavours  . . .  impeccably delicious . . . and yet . . .  there is nothing extraordinary about the ingredients . . .

 

Deli ham and deli turkey  . . .  I get them as thinly sliced as I possibly can  . . .  and sliced hard salami  . . .

 

A Swiss type of melty cheese . . .  I used Dutch Massam on this day, but Gruyere or any nutty flavoured almost sweet  . . . Swiss cheese would work beautifully here . . .

 

A jar of roasted red peppers  . . .  make sure you drain them well and pat them dry  . . . you don't want too much liquid to soak into the croissant dough. You want a crisp crust on the top and the bottom.

 

Beaten eggs poured over the layers.  We've been really lucky in that we have been gifted lately with some beautiful farm fresh free-range eggs at church every Sunday.  They are just beautiful. 


 

I guess this is kind of like an Italian Sandwich Pie!  Whatever it is, it is hearty and delicious and a simple bake.  You are going to love it! 


 

*Italian Layer Bake*
Serves 6 

A delicious casserole composed of layered ham, turkey, salami, roasted pepper, egg and croissant dough. 


1 container of refrigerated croissant roll dough
8 slices of deli turkey
8 sliced of deli ham
12 slices of hard Italian salami
8 slices of Swiss style cheese
1 (12 ounce) jar of roasted red peppers, drained well
4 large free range eggs, beaten 


 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Unroll the crescent dough without separating the triangles.  Cut into two squares and press the perforations together on each square.  Press one into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish.  Top with four slices of turkey, four slices of ham, 6 slices of salami, 4 slices of Swiss cheese and half of the roasted peppers. Pour half of the beaten egg over the peppers.  Top with the remaining turkey,ham, salami, cheese and peppers.  Lay the other half of the dough over the peppers, again, pressing the perforations closed. Pour the remaining eggs over all. Cover lightly with foil.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and heated through.  Let cool for five minutes, then cut into squares to serve.

 

If its in a crust Todd loves it.  He is a pie man for sure.  This is fabulous and makes for the perfect light supper on these last of the summer days, when you want to be out and about enjoying the sunshine and not chained to the stove.  Bon Appetit! 



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Buttermilk Cake

Thursday, 9 June 2016

Buttermilk Cake






We are coming into Strawberry season here in the UK now, and I will put my hand up and say that Strawberry season is one of my favourite food seasons. 


 I purposefully do not buy strawberries at any other time of the year, or imported berries, because in all honesty . . . they just don't cut the mustard!  This Buttermilk Cake is a must during Strawberry Season because it is just so darned perfect for eating with berries and cream!

 Buttermilk Cake





It really is a beautiful cake and perfect to serve with these lovely fresh berries.  


But it also goes very well with all sorts of other fruit . . .  blueberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, etc.  You pick the fruit and this cake is the perfect canvas to support them!



Buttermilk Cake





Its moist and dense and very, very moreish.  Even without any fruit and cream.   


Just a slice of this beautiful cake goes down very well with a nice hot drink on it's own without anything else.

 

 Buttermilk Cake




But don't take my word for it.  Bake it and see for yourself.    I think you better get ready to fall in love.  ☺



Buttermilk Cake




*Buttermilk Cake*
Makes one large nine inch cake

This is moist and delicious.  Lovely served with fresh berries and cream. 

315g of plain flour (2 1/4 cups)
1/2 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
85g of butter (6 TBS)
240g sugar (1 1/4 cup)
3 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla
250ml buttermilk (1 cup)
To serve: (optional)
375ml of double cream (1 1/2 cups whipping cream)
1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced
icing sugar to dust.


Buttermilk Cake



Preheat the oven to 165*C/325*F/ gas mark 3.  Butter a deep 9 inch round cake tin and line the bottom with paper. Set aside.


Cream together the butter and sugar until light.   Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt.  Beat the eggs into the creamed mixture one at  time.  Beat in the vanilla.   Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, stirring until well combined.   Pour into the prepared tin.



Buttermilk Cake




Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the cake is firm to the touch, golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes, before tipping out onto a baking rack to cool completely.


Once cold, slice horizontally in half.  Trim any rounded bits off the top.  Sandwich the two layers with  the whipped cream, and sliced berries, saving a few for on top. Dust the top with icing sugar.  Cut into wedges to serve.



Buttermilk Cake



Bon Appetit!
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Meals of the Week July 9th - 15th

Sunday, 16 July 2023

 

Meals of the Week



Here I am again with another Meals of the Week post!  It seems that you all enjoy these posts and I have to say I am happy for that because I really enjoy putting them together.  Somehow sharing what you have eaten makes you more accountable I think and helps to keep me on the right path!  There's no getting lazy when you know you are going to be sharing some eating inspiration with others!


I do think that when you are a person who lives all on their own, or if you are an elderly person, the temptation is there to just not want to bother much with cooking and preparing meals. It is all to easy to just open a can or pop a frozen dinner into the oven or the microwave.


The truth is however those ready meals are more often than not loaded with fat, salt and preservatives and I happy to believe we are worth much more than that and worth the effort!  They are okay once in a while if you really get into a spot, but a steady diet of them is not a very good thing for anyone!


With that in mind I aim to share my weekly menus with you each week so that, hopefully, you can be inspired to want to cook and plan some of the same for yourself!


A lot of time was spent with family this week, but I still managed to cook me up some incredible deliciousness.  Here we go!



Instant Pot Pot Roast



SUNDAY, July 9th - Dinner at my sisters

Most Sunday's I go to my sister's for supper.  This week she had pot roast which my brother in law cooked on the BBQ. (Its been quite warm and humid.)  My sister just puts everything into a deep tin foil pan, covers it tightly with aluminum foil and pops it onto the BBQ. 


My Brother in law closes the lid the BBQ and it roasts as if it was in an oven.  Just on a medium low heat and he rotates the pan every so often. It wasn't a large roast, just a medium to small one and there were potatoes, onions and carrots in the pan, plus beef broth.


Another way to beat the heat and cook a good pot roast is to use an Instant Pot. You can access my recipe for a delicious Instant Pot Pot Roast here.  Its fabulously tasty and very simple to make.



Cold Plate



MONDAY, July 10th - Cold Plate 


On Monday, it was still pretty hot and humid. I had all sorts of cold salads left from my sister's Birthday Celebration on the Saturday so I put myself together a Cold Plate. Cold Plates are very popular here in the Maritime Provinces in the summer months. I shared a tutorial on the blog on how to put one together.


On this particular day I had some cold roast chicken, potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, cucumber sticks, tomatoes and lettuce. It was delicious and because I already had the salads in, not a lot of trouble. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy as they say!



Tuna Melt Sliders



TUESDAY, July 11th - Tuna Melt Sliders 


It was still pretty hot and humid. That's July here in Nova Scotia.  Every once in a while we will get a big thunderstorm to help release some of it and cool things off.  On this particular day I turned my oven on briefly to make some Tuna Melt Sliders. 


This was a small batch recipe. My favorite tuna salad, combined with a layer of grated cheddar cheese in soft slider buns, which had been brushed with an onion Dijon butter prior to baking.  They are only in the oven for about 15 minutes altogether so not long enough to really heat up the kitchen.


Just long enough to melt the cheese.  The buns stay nice and soft with crisp tops and the cheese is all melty gooey.  I enjoyed this with some crinkle crisps (potato chips) on the side.



True Newf Poutine



WEDNESDAY, July 12th - Lunch at Jonny's Cook House 

I had wanted to take my sister out for lunch on her actual birthday the week before but the place we wanted to go to was actually closed and so we rescheduled for this week. My cousin Sheri joined us with her little boy Sawyer. It is one of our favorite places to eat!  The food is great!  And they have a bazillion different flavors of Ice Cream.


We had fish and chips, because theirs is really good, but usually we have the True Newf Poutine.  Since I developed a copy cat recipe for it (see link in previous sentence) we usually have fish and chips.  That True Newf Poutine is fabulous.  Hot crisp fries, cheese curds, hot gravy and a generous amount of Newfie style stuffing scattered over top! A real favorite around here!




Tater Tot Chicken Pot Pie



THURSDAY, July 13th -  Tater Tot Chicken Pot Pie


I used some leftover cooked chicken I had in the freezer to make a two person sized Tater Tot Chicken Pot Pie on Thursday.  This has all of the delicious flavors of a normal pot pie, with a rich and creamy gravy filled with cubed chicken, onions, peas, corn, and carrots.  


This is put into a baking dish, topped with a layer of grated cheese and then frozen tater tots are put on top to cover.  Baked in the oven the filling gets all lovely and bubbly and those tater tots get golden crispy brown delicious!  So yummy. I enjoyed with a side salad for a wonderfully economical and tasty supper! 


Instant Pot Beef Stew



FRIDAY, July 14th - Delicious Instant Pot Beef Stew 


My son arrived on Friday with his sweet wife and their three boys. They had requested that I make stew for supper. They love my stew.  I doubled my Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe and used potatoes instead of gnocchi this time around. They loved it!  Tender chunks of lean beef and vegetables in a rich beef gravy.  Delicious! 


I also baked a loaf of my favorite Cheese Bread in the bread machine which went down a real treat with the stew!


Peachy Lemon Whip


For dessert we had Peachy Lemon Whip. This is a simple refrigerator dessert I have been making since my high school Home Economics days. Its simply delicious with a graham cracker crust bottom, a lush lemon whip over top and tinned peaches to cover. 


Cheese Crusted Grilled Cheese


SATURDAY, July 15th -  Cheese Crusted Grilled Cheese  


After feeding up my son and his family on pancakes, sausage and bacon for breakfast, they went on their way to camp. They will be back again once camp is over for a few days and we will have our real visit then.   I am looking forward to hearing all about their camp!


I was exhausted though by the time supper rolled around so I made myself something simple. Just a cheese crusted grilled cheese sandwich and a mug of tomato soup.  It was perfect. Not a lot to clean up afterwards and nice and filling. No fuss, no muss.


And there you have it my meals for the past week. I tried to keep my kitchen nice and cool this past week!  I think I will be doing the same in the week to come!  It was  a very delicious week nonetheless and I got to share a lot of it with family, which was the best part of all!



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Tasty Salmon Melt Sliders and John West

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

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One thing I have always been fond of is tinned salmon and tuna, not so much other tinned fishes myself, but the Toddster really loves Sardines and Mackerel.   I was really pleased recently to receive a fabulous Bumper Pack  from the people at John West containing a lovely variety of their newest products.  I used some of them to make these lovely Salmon Melt Sliders,  the recipe of which I will share with you today, but first  . . . a little  bit about what was in this truly fab hamper!

John West offer a range of succulent fish products soaked in different flavours including tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines and crab amongst others. We’re also excited to introduce our season and stir; tender chunks of fish with a flavour to add taste to your dish as well as our brand new steam pots. These are the perfect lunchtime snack for work or home.
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