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
With all of the fresh tomatoes we are enjoying at the moment its fair to say that we are also enjoying our favourite Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches. There is nothing so delicious on earth as a BLT made with fresh garden tomatoes and crisp streaky bacon. We love them and this is the season now for beautiful garden tomatoes.
The most common way of cooking bacon is in a skillet on top of the stove. This requires lots of standing and flipping and can be quite time consuming and somewhat messy as it can spatter all over the top of your stove.
Did you know you can cook bacon perfectly in the oven, and that you can do so easily with a lot less fuss, muss and mess? Its true you can and here are two ways of doing it that will yield two completely different results depending on what you want to use the bacon for. Chewy or Crisp, the choice is yours. (Todd is not fond of overly crisp bacon and prefers his to be a bit chewy.)
FOR CHEWIER BACON
You get a chew finish on your bacon when you bake it directly on the baking tray. (Depending on how long you cook it for that is. Obviously if you leave it in for a longer time than suggested you will get a crisper finish.)
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F and line a baking tray with sides with some aluminium foil for a really easy clean up. Lay your bacon rashers out on the tray in a single layer, leaving space in between them. Don't allow it to overlap.
Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, flip the rashers over using some tongs. Return the baking tray to the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Remove the cooked bacon to a tray or plate lined with paper kitchen toweling to drain.
FOR CRISPIER BACON
Cooking your bacon on an baking rack, directly over an oven tray results in a crisper finish as the hot air of the oven circulates completely around the bacon. Do note that you will need to use a cooling rack that has an oven-safe coating on it as if it doesn't, it could be permanently damaged, or worse transfer something you don't want to be eating to your bacon.
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Line a large baking tray with a lip with some aluminium foil. Place the cooling rack on top of the baking tray. Lay the rashers of bacon on top of the cooling rack in a single layer, leaving space between them and taking care not to overlap them.
Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Using a pair of tongs, carefully flip the bacon rashers over and then return the pan to the oven.
Roast for a further 8 to 10 minutes until completely cooked and crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate or tray to drain.
Here you can see the difference between the two methods of roasting. For a Bacon and tomato sandwich I prefer the bacon a bit chewy, baked directly on the baking sheet. For something like a Caesar salad or another dish where you will be crumbling the bacon I like to roast it on a rack.
When I cook my bacon I always cook the full package. Once cooked and drained, you can store it in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze it in an airtight container for longer, ready to take out as and when you need it. Why pay a premium price for already cooked bacon when it is so very easy to do yourself and so easy to store, handy and ready to use as and when.
I often buy bacon when it is on offer and will cook up the whole lot. Obviously these timings are just guidelines and works well for thin rashers of bacon. If you have thick sliced bacon it may take a few minutes longer.
Any cooked bacon can be simply reheated in the microwave. Wrap in a slice of paper towel and nuke it for about 15 seconds on medium to reheat.
Here are some of my favourite ways to use cooked bacon! Simply click on the recipe titles to go to the recipe.
The Hearty Salad Sarnie (Sarnie is another word for sandwich.) An open faced knife-and-forker with sour dough bread, baked deli ham, sliced deli turkey, sliced ripe tomatoes, sliced hardboiled egg, lettuce and crisp bacon, accompanied with a rich and tangy dressing.
All Dressed Blooming Baked Potatoes. Petal cut potatoes, specially dressed with a butter baste prior to baking in the oven, topped with cheese and crisp bacon. Serve hot wih sour cream and spring onions.
Bacon, Egg and Creamed Spinach on Toast. Toasted Ciabatta rolls topped with creamed spinach, crisp rashers of bacon and fried eggs. Incredibly simply delicious!
Bacon and Egg McMuffin Casserole. This is like having your favourite fast food breakfast sandwich in the
comfort of your own home. This is a delicious casserole and is sure to
please the whole family! You can have it for breakfast, but in all
honesty, we enjoy it for supper. You can serve it with ketchup if you
like or syrup. I am partial to Maple syrup on this.
Two Hander BLT Sandwich. This is the absolute BEST BLT you will ever eat. Seriously. With a Basil Pesto
Mayonnaise, crisp bacon, fresh ripe tomatoes, house dressing and lots
of lively fresh rocket leaves . . . and a sturdy baguett.
World's Best BLT. What makes it the best? Well maybe it's the Pesto
Mayo . . . or it could be that lovely Balsamic House Dressing that you
drizzle over the tomatoes. Whatever it is, it IS the world's best,
hands down.
And then of course you can just go old-school with some toasted bread, mayonnaise, crisp bacon, sliced ripe tomatoes and plenty of crisp lettuce.
All of this talk about bacon is making me hungry again!! Its a good thing I have some already cooked and waiting in the refrigerator!
A new Lidl shop opened near us recently and they have a lovely in store bakery where they bake fresh rolls and other baked goods. I confess I am a bit of a glutton when it comes to fresh rolls and such.
They are like a siren to a seaman. They call to me. I just love bread.
They have these really lovely cheese rolls. They aren't round like most buns, but shaped like diamonds and have a nice amount of cheese on top.
Baked perfectly so that the cheese isn't burnt. They are like a sour dough kind of a roll. Crisp on the outside, chewy inside. Perfection.
I had the last of the leftover roast chicken to use up. I decided to make a filling that I could stuff the rolls with and then toast them in the oven.
I do love a hot sandwich or baguette, don't you? Toasty bread, hot filling. Yum yum!
I shredded the chicken and mixed it with a goodly amount of cheese. I used a mix of mild and strong Cheddar cheese and some Dutch Gouda which has great melting properties and a lovely flavour.
You can never go wrong with a melty cheese. Well, any cheese really. I love cheese.
Along with that I added some thinly sliced spring onions, or scallions as you might call them in North America. My friend Tina's husband Tony grew them this summer and they did really well.
We have been treated to several bunches of them now and I think they are still producing. They are just gorgeous!
Far superior to any you might find in the shops, which begs the question, just how long does it take our fresh fruit and veg to reach our grocery store shelves? I reckon it is a lot longer than we might these.
These fresh spring onions are like nothing I have ever tasted. They are crisp and delicious! We love them!
I moistened the mix with some Caesar salad dressing because I love the flavour, but you could just as easily use ranch if you like, or any other creamy dressing that calls your name!
Your options are only limited by your imagination. Just use your favourite dressing.
Once I mixed all of that together, I stuffed it into the split rolls and then toasted them in the oven in a covered casserole.
I did this so that they wouldn't get too TOO crisp, and yet the cheese would melt and everything would melt together in a most delicious way! Wise choice on my part.
We had these sandwiches hot with some vegetable sticks for a beautiful lunch!! They were really delicious!
We could have just as easily enjoyed them with potato chips. Whatever you enjoy with a hot sandwich would go well.
The cheese was all gooey, and the chicken well flavoured with the dressing, and those delightfully crisp spring onions added just the right texture and amount of sharpness!
As you can see I filled them generously. I was taught from a girl that if you want to make a good sandwich you never stint on the filling.
A good sandwich has to be filled generously or all people will taste is the bread. And whilst these are mighty tasty rolls, I wanted the filling to shine!
A little bit messy to eat, but all good sandwiches, especially hot ones, can be a tad bit messy to eat. It only adds to their tastiness!
Make sure you add napkins!
I wish I could adequately show you just how delicious these were with my photography, but alas, the pictures don't really do these tasty babies justice!
I have never been really good at food photography. I try my best. I want to show you deliciousness.
You will just have to take my word for it. These sandwiches were the bomb! They were truly delicious.
From beginning to end. Top to bottom, inside and out.
But don't just take my word for it. Try them for yourself and see. You begin at the very beginning . . .
With an excellent roll or a crusty bun.
Yield: 4
Chicken Stuffed Rolls
prep time: 5 minscook time: 15 minstotal time: 20 mins
These are delicious! Serve hot with some potato chips or vegetable sticks for a really tasty lunch or with something more substantial for a main meal.
ingredients:
4 large crusty rolls
2 large single boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached and shredded
(Or the equivalent of leftover roasted chicken breast meat, shredded)
120g four cheese blend (generous cup)
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
a generous grinding of black pepper
pinch of salt
220g ranch or Caesar dressinginstructions:
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas
mark 5. Have ready a baking dish with sides large enough to hold all of
your rolls in a single layer.
mark 5. Have ready a baking dish with sides large enough to hold all of
your rolls in a single layer.
Mix together the
chicken, cheese, spring onions, seasoning and salad dressing to combine
well. Slice your rolls in half through the middle horizontally. Spread
a portion of the chicken filling onto the bottom of each roll, dividing
it equally. Top with the tops of the rolls. Cover and seal in the
baking dish with some aluminium foil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until
the cheese has melted and they are heated through. Let stand for about
10 minutes prior to serving.
chicken, cheese, spring onions, seasoning and salad dressing to combine
well. Slice your rolls in half through the middle horizontally. Spread
a portion of the chicken filling onto the bottom of each roll, dividing
it equally. Top with the tops of the rolls. Cover and seal in the
baking dish with some aluminium foil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until
the cheese has melted and they are heated through. Let stand for about
10 minutes prior to serving.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I think this filling would also make a great grilled sandwich. I would brush the outsides of the bread with a bit more Caesar salad dressing prior to grilling in that case and use a nice thick whole wheat bread, grilling them in a hot skillet until tasty toasty and just right!
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!
One of my favourite television shows over here has to be Larkrise to Candleford. Based on a trilogy of novels written by the author, Flora Thompson about the countryside of north-east Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire at the end of the 19th Century, neither Todd nor I have ever missed an episode in all of the three series that have come out now. In fact we purchased them on DVD so that we could treat ourselves to turn-of-the-century village life anytime we wanted to!
A reader recently contacted me, and asked me if I had any knowledge of the type of food that would have been cooked in that era. An American, he and his wife are also great fans of the show, and were very curious about a cake that they had seen the old cook beating together in a bowl during one episode in series one.
Well, since the series takes place in the late Victorian era, I would have to say, without a doubt and with fair certainty, that it was probably a Victoria Sponge, or Victoria Sandwich Cake . . . a lovely buttery sponge cake that would have benefited greatly by some strong armed beating in a bowl.
It was the Victorians that invented this lovely cake by adding butter to an ordinary sponge mixture, which baked better in two flat tins rather than one deep tin. (Oh those Victorians, they were very clever at inventing things I have to say!)
The two cakes were then stuck together with a layer of tasty jam. According to Victorian manuals of the day, sponge cakes would have been made more for the nursery tea table than the drawing room, but we won't quibble the facts . . . the fact is that this cake is delicious, and I would serve it to anyone, child or adult!!
This is just the sort of cake one would imagine Dorcas and her employees at the Post Office sitting down to late in the afternoon . . . teatime . . . a china pot of steaming, freshly made tea at the ready to be served along side of lovely thick slabs of this moist and delicious sponge.
This is a real favourite around this house, and more or less tends to get treated like an ordinary every day kind of cake . . . but upon reflection, I know not why . . . coz it is fine enough to please even the most discerning of palates, and is anything but ordinary!!
I think Dorcas Lane would highly approve . . . it surely being my only weakness . . . something of which she knows full well . . . of this we would be in agreement. (Recipe adapted from the WI Cakes Cookery Book by Liz Herbert. If there is one thing the WI know alot about, it's baking cakes!)
*Traditional Victorian Sandwich Cake*
Makes one 7 inch cake
Printable Recipe
Popular during the reign of Qyeen Victoria, this cake remains popular to this day, which is a huge testament to it's taste and ease of baking! Don't be tempted to use all butter. This is one recipe that is better for the use of a mixture of butter and margarine.
3 ounces of butter, softened (6 TBS)
3 ounces soft margarine (6 TBS)
6 ounces caster sugar (1 cup)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, beaten
6 ounces self raising flour (a scant 1 1/2 cups)
To finish:
3 TBS raspberry jam
buttercream to fill (optional)
icing sugar or caster sugar to dust the top
Butter and base line two 7 inch sandwich tins. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Cream the butter, margarine, sugar and vanilla together until light in colour and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture begins to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour.
Fold in the flour with a metal spoon, taking care to use a cutting motion so as not to knock out too much of the air that you have beaten into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake tins, leveling off the surface. Make a slight dip in the centre of each.
Bake on a centre rack of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the sponges have risen well, are golden brown, and spring back when lightly touched. Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes before running a knife carefully around the edges and turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, place one layer on a cake plate. Spread with raspberry jam and buttercream (if using). Place the other cake on top, pressing down lightly. Dust with icing or caster sugar and serve.
By the way Commentor #63, Sheilagh, a Random Numbers Generator has picked you as the winner of the Delightful Hamper Giveaway. Contact me with your details and I will let the HamperGift people know where to send it. Thanks so much to everyone who participated and joined in on the fun. I wish you could all be winners. Don't be too disappointed though as I will soon be hosting another giveway hosted by the lovely people at Kellogg's . . . yes the people who bring us all those delicious breakfast cereals!
This week in honor of the world's first Pickle-nic Week we decided to invite some good pickle-loving friends over for a picnic lunch to help celebrate with us.
A Pickle-nic shared is a Pickle-nic joy doubled! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Pickles are the perfect picnic food don't you think? Sweet/sour/crunchy and perfectly portable!
Of course our weather these past few weeks hasn't been all that Picnic friendly, so for safety we planned a Pickle-nic worth indoor picnic and of course Mrs Elswood's pickles were the centre of our picnic table feast.
They are the only pickle I have ever been able to find over here in the UK that compares in taste and crunch to the pickles I was used to from back home. I miss the pickles from home and its so nice to finally have a tasty alternative here that I can munch on and enjoy just as much!
Their sandwich slices were perfect in my ham and pickle buns. Such a simple make also, with plenty of salty ham, sweet pickle crunch and some sharp grainy mustard.
Simply layer well buttered soft rolls that you have spread with grainy mustard (I used German) with some Mrs Elswood's Sandwich slices and some finely sliced ham. Perfectly delicious! These went down a real treat!
This was a picnic I decided to throw together basically at the last minute, having only decided to plan it on Monday evening. I had been wanting to have our friends over for a while but had been waiting for good weather to do so in.
I finally told myself "The heck with the weather!" we will just invite them anyways and weather come what may, we'll either do it indoors or outside. I planned something which worked both ways.
My Perfect Picnic List
- Suitable seating, blankets and folding chairs for outdoors, or plenty of seating indoors
- A cooler or basket to hold the food whilst transporting (outdoor picnics) or a suitable surface to spread everything out on (indoors)
- Freshly made sandwiches, suitably wrapped. Nothing overly messy. If your sandwiches are going to be in the car or basket for too long, make sure you also include little ice blocks to keep everything cold, or else avoid fillings which include mayonnaise. Indoors, make your sandwiches ahead of time, and keep them covered and chilled in the refrigerator, putting them out just before serving.
- Something crunchy to enjoy along with your sandwiches. Crisp pickles. Crisp raw vegetables (with dip!). Potato chips.
- Something sweet to satisfy everyone's sweet tooth. Sturdy cakes that travel well and are not overly fussy with tons of frosting and decorations. Fresh fruit/berries. Cookies and squares, again not too fussy or mussy.
- Plenty of cold refreshing drinks. Carbonated don't travel well. I like to make ice cold lemonade and then pack it into large sealable containers with plenty of ice. Of course if you are indoors transportation isn't a problem, neither is keeping everything cool until you are ready to enjoy.
- paper napkins, plates, plastic/wooden knives/forks/spoons, cups
- scintillating conversation and company, plus some calming background music, nothing to gregarious or distracting. Gentle and soothing is the key.
MAKE SURE YOU INVITE EVERYONE TO LEAVE THEIR MOBILES/LAPTOPS AND OTHER DISTRACTING MEDIA ASIDE FOR THESE FEW HOURS! This will greatly add to the enjoyment of the time you are able to spend together!
Aside from the Ham & Pickle Buns I made a few other sandwiches. I did Cheese & Tomato on whole grain bread (Just layer in grated strong cheddar cheese, and sliced ripe tomatoes, making sure you drain as much of the pips out beforehand), Cheese & Pickle (exactly what it says and very popular) and some Chicken Salad Croissants.
I made a delicious Curried Chicken Salad and then layered it in fresh buttered croissants along with some baby rocket.
Curried Chicken Salad
Yield: Makes about 3 cups
A delicious chicken salad that you can either enjoy on its own spooned over lettuce or in a tasty sandwich!
ingredients:
- 110g good quality full fat mayonnaise (1/2 cup)
- 120g full fat Greek yogurt (1/2 cup)
- 1 heaped TBS mango chutney
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- 3 to 4 tsp curry powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 250g cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (2 cups)
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
- 4 TBS flaked toasted almonds
- 12 grapes quartered
- 1 stalk of fresh celery, chopped
- 3 TBS raisins
instructions:
How to cook Curried Chicken Salad
- In a bowl whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, chutney, curry powder and seasoning until smooth. Fold in the remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. This will keep in the refrigerator for about 2- 3 days. I would not keep it any longer. (Of course this depends on when you cooked the chicken. I never keep cooked chicken any longer than 4 days in the refrigerator.)
The chicken croissants went down a real treat along with the ham and pickle sandwiches, although the chicken croissants were a tad bit messy, but in a very good way if you know what I mean!
For the something crunchy I provided some potato chips. You could use ruffled chips or tortilla chips and have a dip as well if you wanted.
Of course plenty of crunchy pickles are nice and yes, the vegetables and dips! Did you know you can stuff larger pickles with cheese? Just do a search on google.
I found some that had been wrapped in bacon and fried. OH MY GOODNESS. Not exactly Pickle-nic worthy, but hey ho!
For my something sweet I served fresh berries from the garden and cake. I had baked two cakes for the occasion . . .
Swedish Visiting Cake on the left and French Yogurt Cake on the right.
We enjoyed them with the berries and I'll be honest with you because we were at home I got some Clotted Cream Ice Cream out of the freezer and we each had a scoop of that on top as well!
And of course we washed it all down with an assortment of refreshing drinks. I had ice cold sparkling water which I served with a twist of lemon over ice and chilled sparkling lemonade. Both were nice and went very well.
Everyone loves these Ham & Pickle Sandwiches. Mrs Elswood's Sweet Cucumber Sandwich slices worked perfectly in these and we even enjoyed a few on their own, because who doesn't enjoy the extra crunch of a pickle, sliced or not!
These taste very similar to the Bread & Butter Pickles from back home. Great on burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and even chopped up and popped into your salads.
I wish they would do a sweet pickle relish like we have back home. So, so, so tasty!
This was a wonderful feast to be enjoyed for Pickle-nic week. Everyone was really happy with the food.
It wasn't stressful for me to prepare and made for a very relaxing meal. Picnics indoors or out! You can't beat them for fun, fun, fun!
A PICNIC MEMORY
I must have been 10 or 11 years old and my friend and I decided we wanted to go on a picnic. My mom made me a peanut butter sandwich and I had that in a brown paper bag along with a few cookies. I also had a cold bottle of Nesbitts Orange Soda Pop. My friend had something similar.
We popped our lunches into our bicycle baskets and then took off for the great outdoors on a grand adventure. We ended up in Torbrook, which was quite a tough bicycle ride partway up the nearby South mountain.
We parked our bicycles and ate our lunches on a hillside looking down on the old Baptist church, with the sounds of bees buzzing, all hot and sweaty from our exertion in getting there, but I can tell you, you have never tasted a better or more delicious peanut butter sandwich than that one!
We finished it off by eating some green apples we picked from a near-by tree and went to bed with belly-aches that night, but oh what a wonderful memory we had built!
I do believe a Picnic is a wonderful excuse to crack open your inner-child and dust it off for a few hours!!!
Happy Picnic Days!!
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