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Showing posts sorted by date for query sandwich. Sort by relevance Show all posts
One meat my husband really loves is Pork Chops. He loves nothing better. Cooking pork chops can be a bit tricky I find. There is an optimum length of time to cook them and it varies from chop to chop, depending on the type and the thickness of the chop.
In the old days people were really afraid of under-cooked pork and so had a tendency to way overcook their pork. My poor mum used to feed us chops that were so overcooked, you needed a ton of gravy or applesauce just to make them edible. Bless her . . . she meant well and had only our safety in mind. Everyone had the same fears with pork and overcooked their meat. It wasn't just her.
One thing which helps with the tenderness of chops is to brine them prior to cooking. This is a technique that I have only discovered in recent years and I have to say that it really makes a huge difference! My chops were never dry anyways, but now they are even better!
Its amazing what the magic solution of cold water, salt and sugar and an hour of time can do!
For this recipe today you will want bone in rib loin chops that are at least 1 1/2 inches thick. The reason you want them this thick is that you will be stuffing them . . .
I don't think you can get much tastier than a stuffed pork chop!
The stuffing for these is a really simple one . . . using simple ingredients. Butter softened onion and celery, with a mix of herbs . . . thyme, parsley, sage and a bit of garlic . . . some salt and pepper . . .
Mixed with some white bread crumbs and some cream to moisten everything and get it to stick together. I also add some chopped raisins for a hint of sweetness, but you can leave them out if you wish, or replace them with chopped apple, or dried apricots, or even dried cranberries. All work well.
You will want to cut a deep pocket in the brined chops. I make only a tiny incision on the fatty edge, and then move the knife around inside to carve a pocket . . . carefully. You want a sharp knife and you don't want too large of an opening. Too large and you run the risk of your stuffing bursting out during cooking.
You want all that tastiness to stay inside, which is why you want only a tiny opening on the edge. I recommend no larger than you index finger. It is quite doable, trust me on this.
Once you have the pocket cut you can stuff the chops. I pop it in through the opening and then massage it around from the outside of the chop so that it fills the whole pocket. Do take care not to let the stuffing get too close to the opening and press it well shut when you are done. You could of course close with toothpicks, but its really not necessary and it actually makes them harder to brown if you do.
Once they are stuffed you simply brown them on both sides, pop them into a baking dish and then finish them off in a hot oven. Easy peasy.
Yield: 4
Stuffed Brined Pork Chops
prep time: 1 hourcook time: 40 minstotal time: 1 hours and 40 mins
You will need thick, bone in pork chops for these (at least 1 1/2 inches thick). They are brined first for an hour prior to stuffing, browning and baking. Let assure you that all the fuss is worth it. Succulent, tender and delicious! Note you will need to brine the chops for one hour prior to starting.
ingredients:
- 1/5 litres of cold water (1 1/2 quarts)
- 3 TBS kosher or sea salt
- 3 TBS granulated sugar
- 4 bone-in rib loin chops, 1 1/2 inches thick
- (12 ounces each)
- 3 TBS butter
- 1 medium onion, peeled and minced
- 1 stalk celery, trimmed and minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 TBS dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp each dried thyme and sage
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 sliced sandwich bread, crusts trimmed and cut
- into small cubes
- 4 TBS raisins, chopped (optional)
- 2 TBS heavy cream
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 TBS vegetable oil
instructions:
- Whisk together the cold water with the salt and sugar until both the salt and sugar dissolve. Place the chops into the mixture, making sure they are completely submerged. Leave for 1 hour. At the end of that time, remove them from the water and pat dry.
- To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and herbs. Cook for a further half a minute or so until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl and toss together with the bread cubes and chopped raisins. Season with some salt and black pepper. Add the cream and mash well together until you have a fairly solid mass that you can handle easily without it crumbling too much.
- Take each chop and cut a pocket into each. Use a very sharp knife and just using the tip, puncture the chop on the fat edge, making a small opening, and then by carefully manoeuvring the tip of the knife, cut a pocket inside the chop without enlarging the cut on the edge, or poking through the surface of the chop. (This will help to make sure that the stuffing stays inside when the chops are cooking.)
- Preheat the oven to 230*C/450*F. gas mark 7. Have ready a shallow baking dish large enough to hold all four chops.
- Stuff each chop with 1/4 of the stuffing, massaging the chop on the outsides to work it through to fill the pocket entirely. (I try to keep it at least 1/3 of an inch away from the pocket incision.) Season your chops on both sides.
- Heat the vegetable oil in the skillet and brown the chops on both sides, about 3 minutes or so per side. Transfer the browned chops to the baking dish.
- Bake the chops in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and tent for about 5 to 10 minutes with some aluminium foil.
- Serve hot with your favourite sides.
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These really are very good. Tender and delicious . . . succulent. I guarantee your family will love them. I served them with mashed potatoes, some gravy, a bit of cauliflower cheese that I had leftover from another day and some frozen peas. Todd was in pork chop heaven! Bon Appetit!
A friend of mine on Instagram posted a ham and cheese panini on her feed the other day and it looked amazingly delicious. I thought it was bacon, but she said no, ham . . . it looked sooooooo good! I have been thinking about it ever since . . . except in my mind it was bacon, not ham . . . I do so love the occasional bacon sandwich.
Back in my early days here in the UK, Todd and I worked together at a BP service station that had a cafe attached. They sold tons of bacon, sausage, as well as bacon & sausage baguettes every morning. You would see the same guys buying them every day.
I was always mystified by the draw of them. They used the cheapest nastiest bacon and sausages. You should have seen the grease in the bottom of the warming cabinet that would have to be cleaned out at the end of every day. Blech! Blech! Blech!
I only like to use a good quality bacon in my sandwiches . . . and I am not fond of sausage in sandwiches at all. (I am not sure why.)
There has been a lot on the news lately about the higher incidence of bowel cancer in people who eat processed meats every day. I often wonder about those builders that were coming in every day and filling up on that cheap and nasty stuff. I recently discovered Finnebrogue Naked Bacon, which is made without any nitrites and artificial additives. This is what I have been buying. It costs a bit more than regular bacon, but I reckon for the few times we might have bacon, it is worth every penny.
I haven't seen it as streaky bacon, just the back bacon. But you can get it smoked and unsmoked. It is air dried and it is lovely, and no . . . I have not been paid or given any free bacon to say that. I just plain like it and think you might too.
Especially if you are like me and a bit concerned about the use of nitrates and preservatives in our food.
This is not low fat by any stretch, which makes it a real treat . . . all butter croissants . . . Jarlsberg cheese . . . back bacon . . .
I grilled the back bacon under my oven grill/broiler. If you slash the fatty edge first, it won't curl up.
Lightly buttered and pressed in a Panini press until the croissant is golden brown and has nice crispy bits . . . and the cheese is melted.
I like mine with a bit of brown sauce, or what is called HP sauce or steak sauce in North America. Its really good. Just spicy enough . . .
Todd likes his with tomato sauce/ketchup. There is no accounting for taste, lol. Seriously I have never liked tomato ketchup on anything with bread. Again, I have no idea why.
Yield: 2
Bacon & Cheese Panini
A once in a blue-moon treat. I enjoy mine with brown sauce. Todd prefers ketchup! Quick, easy and delicious!
ingredients:
- 2 all butter quality French Croissants
- 4 rashers of back bacon
- 4 slices of good melty cheese (I used Jarlsberg)
- softened butter
instructions:
- Preheat the grill/broiler to high. Clip the fatty edge of your back bacon and lay it out in a single layer on a foil lined grill tray. Grill for approximately 4 minutes per side, or until it is done to your desired taste. Allow to drain on some paper kitchen toweling.
- Preheat your Panini press is using, or skillet. Slice your croissants in half through the middle. Butter lightly on both the top and the bottom outer bits. Place the buttered bottom down on the panini press/skillet. Top with one slice of cheese, torn in half and laid out to cover it. Top with two slices of back bacon, and another slice of cheese in the same way. Place the croissant tops, buttered side up, on top of everything.
- Cook in your Panini press until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Alternately cook in a heated skillet, pressing down with a spatula, top first, and flipping over when golden brown, to brown the other side.
- Serve immediately with your favourite sauce.
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I was really pleased to see this Naked Bacon in my local grocery store and bought it right away to try. I just love trying new things. Especially if they promise to be healthier. I have been buying it ever since, which is not every week, by the way . . . maybe only once a month. I hope they come out with a streaky version! Yum!!
One thing that children really enjoy for their suppers in the UK are Fish Fingers, Chips and Beans. Its a simple meal and quick to throw together, making it a firm favorite with mums as well. You don't always have the time or the energy to put together a big meal.
I confess that from time to time, I also enjoy it. It can be as simple as opening frozen packets and tins, popping the fish and chips into the oven and the beans into a saucepan to heat up. I, however, always like to add a little twist to my baked beans which I am sharing with you today.
My secret recipe for dealing with a tin of baked beans to dress them up a bit and make them taste just like New England Baked Beans, is to treat them like baked beans!
I don't think I am the first person to admit that tinned baked beans can be a little bit lack luster in comparison to the real thing! I was really spoilt as a child. Mom always used to bake our beans from scratch.
Every Saturday without fail we could count on them for most of my growing up years. Occasionally she would open a tin, but more often than not we had the real deal.
Baked long and slow in a low oven, all day. She would soak the beans the night before and then get them into her bean crock early in the morning. The smell of them baking would tantalize us all day.
By the time supper rolled around we were more than ready to tuck in with delight. And there was always plenty extra that she would freeze in containers for us to enjoy at future dates.
My sister bakes her own beans from scratch nowadays as well, but she uses her crock pot/slow cooker. They may not get quite as dark as mom's but the flavor is there, and we love them.
You don't always have time to bake your own beans however. And you don't always want to resort to opening a tin, wanting to feed your family something a bit more tastier than that.
Thankfully, I do know how to fix tinned beans up to taste very close to my mother's home baked beans with the addition of a few simple ingredients.
Its not very hard to do at all and this method works with any type of canned baked bean. All you need are a few simple ingredients . . . apple cider vinegar, molasses, soft light brown sugar, and tomato ketchup . . .
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE FAUX BAKED BEANS
- 1 400g tin of baked beans in tomato sauce (14 oz)
- 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBS mild molasses
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
- 1 TBS tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp hot mustard
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (not salt)
.jpg "frozen fish fingers")
To complete the meal you will also need a quantity of frozen fish fingers/sticks, and I am not promoting any one kind in particular. You know what your family like and enjoy. Personally I prefer cod fish fingers. But you pick whatever you like.
You also need a four serving size bag of frozen French fries, or in the UK a chippie that is close by where you can buy ready made chips/fries. Again, you know what it is that is available to you and what your family enjoys.
While you are heating up your fish fingers and or chips in the oven, you can get on with cooking your beans. They are so simple.
You just stir all of the additional ingredients into the beans and let them simmer for about 15 minutes over low heat. This will infuse them with that delicious home baked bean flavor we all love and enjoy.
I like to buy the best fish fingers and frozen oven chips that my money can buy, and only very occasionally, will I pick up ready made deep fried chips. It was much easier to do so in the UK.
This combination really does make for a tasty and quick occasional supper from time to time, and it not all that hard on the budget. For larger families it can be a real boost to the food bill!
If I am using deep fried chips from the local chippy I will also add a slice of cheap buttered white bread. Not only does it go well with the baked beans, but until you have tasted a chip butty (sandwich made from a slice of buttered white bread wrapped around hot chips) you really haven't lived
A true carboholic's dream!
Yield: 4
Fish Fingers, Chips & Beans
Quick and easy this is often a child's favourite supper. This special touch on the beans takes them over the top to delicious! Another store-cupboard meal.
ingredients:
- 1 package of your favourite frozen fish fingers
- (4 serving size)
- 1 package of your favourite frozen oven chips
- (4 serving size)
- 1 400g tin of baked beans in tomato sauce (14 oz)
- 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBS mild molasses
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
- 1 TBS tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp hot mustard
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (not salt)
instructions:
- Preheat your oven and cook your fish fingers and chips according to the package directions. While they are cooking, open your beans and pour into a pot. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and leave on low heat simmering, stirring occasionally, until your fish fingers and chips are done.
- To serve divide the fish fingers, chips and beans between four heated dinner plates and serve immediately.
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Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Not having a hob/cooker to use for the last half week or so has certainly been a challenge for me. I really hope that when the Engineer comes tomorrow, it is an easy fix!
We did purchase a portable hot plate, but with only two small burners on it, it doesn't really lend itself much to cooking gourmet meals It is however, fab for browning things and heating things up, like soup. I haven't actually cooked any pasta on it yet, but I did cook carrots on it the other day.
It required a bit of difference in planning as I am used to the instant heat of gas. This electric hot plate takes much longer to heat up and it doesn't cool down instantly either, so I keep having to warn Todd that the burner was just on as it is not really obvious by looking at it, but if you set something on it, you would sure know in a hurry, especially if it was your hand or something plastic!
Today (Sunday as I write this) I used it to make our favourite Mexi-Melts, working with it in tandem with our Microwave. Tandem cooking! It works well! We are huge fans of Tex Mex food! I heard rumours that we are supposed to be getting a Taco Bell in Chester, but that was months ago and there isn't one yet, although there is supposedly one in Liverpool. I can't wait!
This is a riff on their Mexi-Melt sandwich, which is kind of like a burrito/wrap. I did make a few changes, so technically they are not identical, but I don't think anyone will really mind. They are fabulously delicious!
We try not to eat a lot of red meat here, so I used ground turkey instead of beef. You can use ground turkey thighs, but I like the turkey breast meat.
This gets simply browned in a skillet. Because I am using turkey breast which is ultra low fat, I add a bit of oil to help keep it from sticking. We like ground turkey so this really works for us. If you are not a fan of ground turkey, you can use ground beef, but do try to use an extra lean one.
Once you get the turkey browned and seasoned (I give my homemade taco seasoning recipe below) you simply layer the meat and two kinds of cheese in a flour tortilla, along with some tomato salsa. How spicy you choose to use, is up to you! I like the mild one myself.
Once you get all of the tortillas filled and rolled, you wrap them up in some damp paper towelling and then nuke them in the microwave for a minute. This is just long enough to heat everything through nicely and melt the cheese.
I make my own Chipotle mayo dip for serving with them. Its a really simple to make also. If you are not fond of mayo, you can use sour cream.
Taco Seasoning Mix
prep time: cook time: total time:
This is better than any packaged mix. No preservatives or chemicals.
ingredients:
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/4 tsp onion powder (not salt)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 TBS mild chili powder (American style)
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
instructions:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a jar to combine well. Use as needed. Store, tightly covered in a dark place for up to 6 months.
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These are oh so delicious, especially when you serve them with the mayo which adds a touch more flavour and a hint of creaminess. I like to sprinkle the dip with black olives and spring onions for even more flavour.
Yield: 8
Turkey Mexi-Melts
Quick, easy and satisfying. I have added an optional dip which adds even more taste. Serve with a salad for a light supper, or without for a quick lunch. You can also put together, wrap up tightly and freeze. When you are ready to eat, just thaw at room temperature for an hour or so and then warm as in the recipe instructions.
ingredients:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 envelope of taco seasoning mix
- 225g grated strong cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
- 225g grated Jack cheese (8 ounces)
- 8 to 10 flour tortillas (8 inch)
- 200g tomato salsa (1 generous cup)
- For the Dip: (optional)
- 220g good quality mayonnaise
- 1 TBS lime juice
- 1 tsp chipotle chili paste
- finely chopped black olives and spring onions
instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the ground turkey and brown thoroughly, until no more pink juices remain. Stir in the taco seasoning and heat through.
- Lay out your tortillas. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese down the middle of the tortillas, dividing it equally amongst each. Divide the seasoned turkey equally amongst the tortillas, placing it on top of the cheddar cheese. Spoon a portion of the tomato salsa over top of the turkey in each tortilla, dividing it equally amongst them. Finally sprinkle the Jack cheese over top of the salsa. Roll each tortilla up to enclose the filling. Wrap each in a piece of damp kitchen paper towelling. Microwave 2 at a time for 1 minute on high. Let sit while you microwave them all.
- To make the dip. whisk together the mayo, lime juice and the chipotle paste in a bowl. Top with the chopped olives and onions.
- Serve the hot wraps with the mayo for dipping.
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Authentic or not, these are really delicious. Simple ingredients. Easy method. Quick to throw together. These are big winners all round, especially if you are a fan of Tex Mex!! Bon Appetit!
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