Weeknights I try to keep things really simple. I am very busy during the week and after having worked as a chef for many years, I quite honestly don't want to spend all my days in the kitchen cooking.
Simple, quick and easy works well for me . . . but simple, quick and easy doesn't mean that food has to be tasteless or even unhealthy. It is more than possible to cook a delicious meal without a lot of effort and from scratch.
That is why I tend to favour simple dishes like this Chicken with Apricots and Almonds that I am showing you here today. Quick and easy to make and very delicious, it is also quite healthy.
That is why I tend to favour simple dishes like this Chicken with Apricots and Almonds that I am showing you here today. Quick and easy to make and very delicious, it is also quite healthy.
With only 1 TBS of fat which is used to brown the onions and chicken meat and four servings that means the fat content is about 1/4th of a tablespoon, which is pretty good for something so delicious!
The whole thing cooks in one pot on top of the stove.
The whole thing cooks in one pot on top of the stove.
Lovely flavours are included by using ginger, cinnamon and tumeric . . . so it has a bit of an Middle Eastern flare, but without going over the top.
The addition of dried apricots adds a nice natural sweetness, and helps to thicken the juices into a virtually fat free sauce, whilst the sprinkling of some flaked almonds on top just prior to serving adds a bit of nutty crunch.
The addition of dried apricots adds a nice natural sweetness, and helps to thicken the juices into a virtually fat free sauce, whilst the sprinkling of some flaked almonds on top just prior to serving adds a bit of nutty crunch.
You can use the coriander or not as you wish. Some people are not very fond of coriander I know. Personally I don't really mind it.
All together this makes for a very delicious and simple supper. All you need with it is some steamed rice and a vegetable.
All together this makes for a very delicious and simple supper. All you need with it is some steamed rice and a vegetable.
I like broccoli, but you can have whatever vegetable floats your boat. I am sure you and your families will really love this so I hope that you will give it a go!
A
lightly spiced dish with tender chunks of chicken and sweet and sticky
apricots. It makes for a delicious low fat weekday meal, which is quick
and easy to prepare. You will need a large skillet with a lid.
1 TBS unflavoured cooking oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground tumeric
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes.
450ml chicken stock (2 cups)
250g pack of dried apricots, halved (about 1 2/3 cup)
Heat
the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion.
Cook, stirring, until softened. Add the spices and the chicken. Cook
for several minutes, stirring to coat the chicken with the spices...
Pour in the chicken stock. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15
minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid, stir and add the
apricots. Cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes, until the chicken
is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and add
salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle the
almonds over top and garnish with some chopped fresh coriander if
desired.
*Chicken with Almonds and Apricots*
Serves 4
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
25g of sliced almonds (1/4 cup)
chopped fresh coriander to garnish (Cilantro, optional)
Steamed rice to serve
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.
Eddingtons recently sent me some kitchenware from Epicurean to try out and I have spent the last month putting it through it's paces in a big way. I could have told you about it right off the bat, but I wanted to really use it before I spoke to you about it.
Epicurean Cutting Surfaces are a world-class kitchenware brand committed to creating responsibly sourced, design lead and innovative kitchenware. The Epicurean brand was the inspiration of a custom skate park manufacturer who realised the potential for its use outside the skate parks when he was asked by friends and family to create chopping boards from the almost indestructible new materials used in the build process.
I received one of the large chopping boards in the natural colour and two utensils, a large spoon in the slate colour and a sauté tool in the natural colour.
The Kitchen Series Chopping Boards are made from an eco-friendly, organic, wood fibre composite, available in a variety of sizes and colours; natural, slate and nutmeg. The wood fibre provides cooks with a knife friendly smooth surface upon which they can carry out all their food preparation. The boards are extremely durable, nonporous, heat resistant and dishwasher safe. The Kitchen Series boards really are the “go- to” board for all your cooking and chopping needs
- Dishwasher safe
-Heat resistant to 350*F/176*C
-Knife friendly
-Non-porous wood fibre
-Limited lifetime warranty
I have really loved using this board. Not only does it perform well as a chopping board, but it also makes a great and attractive surface for me to lay out hot dishes on at the table, and I have to also add that this large one makes a great back drop for food photos. (Just sayin!)
The Kitchen Series Utensil Range has the look and feel of traditional wooden utensils, but has the added benefit of being fade, split and stain resistant. This is due to the innovative wood fibre composite that they are made from. The Kitchen Series utensils are gentle on pans and won’t harm non-stick surfaces whilst also being easy to clean and dishwasher safe. The utensil collection is available in two colours, Natural and Slate and includes three sizes of spoon, a sauté tool, paddle and angled turner.
- Dishwasher safe
-Heat resistant to 350*F/176*C
- Safe for non-stick pans
-Lifetime warranty
The utensils have also performed well. At first I was a bit concerned that they might absorbe food flavours, colours, the way that traditional wooden spoons do, but that has not happened. The sauté tool was a bit faded when I received it, due to the portion of it that had been covered with the label, but it has not taken on any colours or tints from anything I have used it with, tomatoes, tumeric, etc. Nor have they taken on any smell from what I have used them to cook with either. My pots and pans have remained scratch and scrape free. Also the board has not taken on any smell from onions or garlic and its surface remains scratch free even after a month of daily use.
I was also a bit concerned that they might warp in the dish washer. I mean wood, right? This has also not happened and I have been using and dish washing them almost on a daily basis. I have to add that I have a smaller, bar-sized board that I have been using for several years now and it has also performed well, never warping, scratching or taking on any smells. I highly recommend these products. You can purchase them at Borough Kitchen Cookshops.
The Kitchen Utensils can be purchased at Gill Wing Cook Shop on 190 Upper Street, Islington. London. N1 1RQ.
As most of you know these past few months I have been kept very busy testing recipes and writing for my new cookbook which will be published soon. This is one of the recipes which I have developed for it and one which really give the cutting board a real work out, as everything in it was chopped fine! I used my handy dandy spring loaded food chopper and it did not scratch the board at all. The durability of these products is amazing! And so is this tasty recipe. A great way to use up the leftovers from a roast ham dinner!
*Baked Ham Hash*
Serves 4
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a
shallow 1 litre (2 quart) baking dish. Set aside.
Mix the ham, onion, potatoes, worcestershiare sauce and black pepper in a bowl. Spread in the buttered baking dish. Scatter the grated cheese evenly over top.
Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes until heated through and golden brown. Serve hot.
A tossed salad on the side goes very well!
Note - you could also serve this with either a fried or poached egg on top.
Mix the ham, onion, potatoes, worcestershiare sauce and black pepper in a bowl. Spread in the buttered baking dish. Scatter the grated cheese evenly over top.
Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes until heated through and golden brown. Serve hot.
A tossed salad on the side goes very well!
Note - you could also serve this with either a fried or poached egg on top.
Many thanks to Eddingtons for sending me these nifty kitchen tools to try out. Eddingtons are purveryors and suppliers of quality kitchen merchandise. They pride themselves in finding fun, innovative and practical kitchen and housewares that are just that little bit different
I am a huge fan of one an suppers. The less washing up the better! Less mess, less stress. I recently came across this recipe for Turkey Meatballs and Lemon Rice and thought it sounded delicious and the fact that it was a one an supper made it even more appealing. Adapted from the Cookbook entitled One-Pan Wonders from Cooks Country.
I can still remember the first time I tasted Buttermilk. It was way back in the mid 1970's. I think I bought some to make a cake with or something.
Buttermilk in Canada, comes in one litre containers, so it wasn't long before I was scrambling to find something else I could make with it. Back in those days it was a lot harder.
There was no internet to seek advice from! You had to rely on word of mouth, friends and family.
Over here in the UK, you only get Buttermilk in small 284ml containers, each holding about 1 1/2 cups. This is good in a way, as you are only opening about as much as you need at any given time.
It is a pain in another way as you end up having to buy more containers and store them when you want to make something as delicious as this chicken here today.
This is an old favourite of ours from those early days. The chicken always turns out amazingly tender. A good soaking in buttermilk is the secret to that.
Sometimes I add herbs to the flour mixture, sometimes I don't. I am particularly fond of thyme, or symmer savoury in this. But its awfully good with no herbs as well.
It does use condensed cream soup. But I am not a snob that way, or pedantic about its use. I'm not pretentious either.
If something tastes good, it tastes good and I am not afraid to tell you that it uses cream soup. So there!
It has its uses and this is one of them and I'm not afraid to put my hand up and say, yes . . . on occasion I do use "cream of" soups.
Oh sure, I could take extra time and make a bechamel sauce, etc. . . . or homemade mushroom soup to use in this, but I don't.
I'm also rather lazy at times. And this is one of those times. It tastes good. Its easy to make. Its a real family pleaser. You can't get much better than that.
I did share this on the blog way back in 2009, but some things are just so good they bear repeating on occasion.
*Buttermilk Chicken*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
I'm not sure how it works, but the buttermilk in this recipe helps to create chicken that is moist and very tender. This is delicious!
2 ounces butter (1/4 cup)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 heaped TBS of plain flour
2 284ml containers of buttermilk (about 3 cups)
1 (285g) tin of Batchelors condensed cream of mushroom soup (Campbells) (10 1/4-oz tin)
chopped fresh flat leaf parsley to garnish
Pre-heat the oven to 205*C/425*F. Melt the butter in a 13 by 9 inch shallow baking dish. Set aside.
Sprinkle the chicken breasts on both sides with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and one container of the buttermilk in another shallow bowl.
Dip the breasts, one at a time, first into the buttermilk and then into the flour, shaking off any excess, but coating it well. Lay good side down in the melted butter in the baking dish. Repeat until all four have been coated.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip over. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes longer.
While the chicken is baking whisk together the other container of buttermilk and the undiluted mushroom soup.
Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the soup mixture over top. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove the chicken pieces to four warmed plates. Stir the soup mixture in the pan and then spoon equally over top of the chicken pieces. Serve immediately with some parsley sprinkled over each.
Can I whine a bit here???? (Yes this is the same photo from above) I wanted to accentuate the small size of this "chicken breast" here.
I hate it when grocery shops try to dupe you into thinking you are buying a package of lets say CHICKEN BREAST for instance and one of the chick breasts is actually NOT a whole chicken breast but a chunk of chicken breast that they have managed to maneuver into the middle of the other breasts to make it look like you are getting four chicken breasts.
You aren't though. You are getting three and a half if you are lucky and I have even been tricked into buying a package which has one and two halves in it. Bad grocery stores.
They don't weigh what the package says either. Once you take off all the packaging and that little piece of squishy paper underneat the meat that absorbs all that liquid and who knows what water they have pumped into it, you usually are missing quite a substantial amount.
I am so tired of being lied to . . . aren't you? I'll get off my soap box now.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I just love, love, LOVE the traditional recipes of the UK. All those years I spent ensconced in Enid Blyton books, drooling and dreaming over what sounded like exotic foods . . . well, those dreams and imaginations have come true for me since I arrived in the UK.
This recipe has been floating around for years. Chocolate Sheet Cake. Texas Sheet Cake, etc.
Call it what you will, it is all the same cake. Like they say, there is nothing new under the sun, just new ways of doing things.
This particular recipe was adapted from a book I have entitled "The Best of Cooking Light."
I don't always eat hedonistically and from time to time I like to shave calories off if I can, or try a lighter version of a recipe.
This recipe differed a bit from the usual chocolate sheet cake I make . . . first it has buttermilk in the batter, which usually makes for a really moist cake . . .
Second it is put together rather differently. You boil milk, cocoa and butter together and then beat that into the dry ingredients . . . then beat in the buttermilk and eggs.
The icing is also a tiny bit different. I found it all to be very sweet, which is not entirely a bad thing . . . it means you can't eat as large a piece, which is probably a good thing!
It's also very dense . . . I don't remember my regular recipe ending up quite as dense as this one is . . . but it was quite pleasant to eat nonetheless.
For a cake that is lower in fat and calories, it was not half bad at all. Mind you it does say that it makes 20 servings. Hmmm . . .
Probably not in my house . . . haha.
*Chocolate Sheet Cake*
Makes 20 servings30g of cocoa powder, sifted (1/4 cup)
This is really good, lovely and moist, and its nice to know that it is also a bit lighter than the regular version. Bon Appetit!
I am a lover of quick breads . . . scones, tea loaves, baking powder biscuits, muffins, corn bread, etc. I just love them. One of the reasons I love them is because they are quick to put together and they freeze really well. If you are making a pot of soup, it really isn't much extra work to put together a savoury muffin or quick bread to go along with it, and they realy turn a simple meal into something very special.
Who says that a savoury pie has to have meat in it to be good? This pie is absolutely fabulous! I found the recipe for it on Lesley's Kitchen, who got it from Holly Bell on the Great British Bakeoff. I adapted it to use the cheese which I had here in the house and it was totally delish! A bit fiddly with the making of the pastry, but absolutely worth all of the fiddle! We were all drooling over it in this house!
I love chicken and rice. They are the ultimate combination, especially when combined with two of my favourite vegetables, peas and carrots!
This is such a simple dish to prepare also. Everything gets cooked all in the one dish. You will want a fairly large skillet for this with straight sides, if possible, and a lid that fits snuggly.
You can use fresh garlic if you wish, but I like the garlic powder. Lately I haven't liked the flavour of the fresh garlic which is available.
It tastes mildewed or moldy to me. Very yucky. I think I am going to have to grow my own.
The chicken is first browned and then you make a vegetable pilaf with chicken stock, rice, onions, and carrots.
You nestle the browned chicken into the rice to finish cooking . . .
Frozen petit pois, parsley and lemon juice complete the dish.
The Chicken is sliced on the diagonal and placed on top in an attractive manner.
Altogether you are treated to a pleasant dish, well flavoured, colourful, and delicious. Everyone loves this, and it's so simple to make, and I think quite healthy.
You can also very easily cut the quantities in half to serve only two people. Depending on the size of your chicken pieces, you may even be able to serve three with the recipe cut in half.
*Chicken & Rice*
Serves 4
Heat the oil in a large skillet with a lid. Season the chicken with
salt and pepper. Add to the skillet, presentation side down, and brown,
about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add the onion and 1/2 tp
of salt to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently in the drippings, until
softened.
Add the rice and garlic powder. Cook and stir for about a
minute.
Add the carrots and stir in the chicken stock, scraping up any
bits.
Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the rice without
covering it. Cover and reduce the heat to low.
Cook, for 10 to 15
minutes, until the chicken tests done and the juices run clear. Remove
the chicken and set aside, keeping it warm.
Stir though the rice to
recombine, then cover and cook until all of the liquid has been
absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the peas.
Cover and let stand for a few minutes to thaw and heat through the
peas. Fork through the lemon juice and parsley.
Slice the chicken
breasts through on the diagonal and return to the top of the rice in a
decorative fashion. Sprinkle with paprika and more parsley if desired.
Serve immediately.
All you really need to serve in addition to this is possibly a nice tossed salad. You could also add some different herbs if you wanted to. Lemon Thyme leaves, Chives or tarragon are lovely. Bon Appetit!
When my children were growing up they used to love the frozen Pizza Pockets. I also used to make them from scratch, but in reality they took a lot of time by the time I made the yeast dough etc. so frozen was just easier. I wish I had thought of these Pizza Scrolls back then. It would have made life a lot simpler!
Tomorrow is "Pancake Day" here in the UK, also known as Shrove Tuesday it is the last day before the beginning of Lent, when traditionally people had a last feast before Lent ushered in. It was a good and delicious way to use up the last of the eggs and fat before the fasting began. When I was a child it was the only day of the year my mother would make pancakes. And she didn't always make them on Pancake Day either, unless we begged her and "guilted" her into it! Each year I try to make a different type of pancake and this year is no different. I present Banoffee Pancakes for your perusal!!
Occasionally you run across a cake that is so squidgilly good that you either have to share it right away, or hide it and hog it all to yourself. This delicious loaf cake falls into both those categories. I kid you not. At first bite you will want to run to your bestest friend or partner and share it with them, coz something this scrummy just begs to be shared . . . but then again, the glutton in you may be tempted to want to hide it and save it all for yourself!
We are lucky enough to have a very prolific black currant bush in our back garden and so our freezer is filled with black currants for me to use all year round in tasty desserts, pies, cakes, etc. This is one of Todd's favourite pies. Well, apple anything is his favourite, but when you mix them with his other favourite fruits, black currants, well you have bagged a real winner!
The husband is always after me to cook using things that we have in our store cupboard. He is always complaining about how much we have stored.
It is useless for me to explain to him that your cupboards may be full, but in a lot of cases they are full of ingredients that you put together with other things to make a meal . . .
For example. I may have six jars of various different olives in my store cupboard, but we are not going to sit down and eat a jar of olives for supper . . . know what I mean?
It's the same with a tin of tomatoes, or tinned corned beef, tuna, etc. You can use them for parts of a meal, but you will still have to go out and buy fresh ingredients to put with them. You are not going to sit and eat a tin of tomatoes on its own, or a tin of corned beef. Well, most people wouldn't anyways.
He might be happy sitting down to a supper which consists of a tin of spam, a tin of new potatoes and a tin of green beans . . . but it's not gonna happen if I have anything to say about it! To me a store cupboard meal is like the one I am showing you here today.
I have used a tin of tuna from my store cupboard . . . a package of pasta from my cupboard . . . two economical ingredients to have stored in the house . . . and some mayonnaise and Dijon mustard which I pretty much always have in the house.
But I have added fresh ingredients such as sour cream, milk and cheese to it, along with some frozen peas. I do tend to have frozen peas in the freezer all the time as well.
But basically with any store cupboard, no matter how much you have stored in it . . . you will still need fresh ingredients to put with them to make a meal.
It is slowly starting to sink into his male brain . . . but men do take a lot of convincing at times . . . and this is a man who basically ate out of tins before we got married.
For twelve years. I know . . . the mind boggles.
This is a tasty casserole. It's simple to make. Easy. Economical and delicious. I think you will like it. I like to buy expensive tuna . . . yes, even in casseroles.
An old Italian woman once told me that if it wasn't albacore tuna it was garbage. Old women know best.
Now I am an old woman, and I am telling you . . . albacore tuna is the best, flavour wise . . . looks wise, etc. This is where you really do get what you pay for and it's worth the little bit extra to buy quality.
*Cheesy Tuna Bake*
Serves 4 to 6
Serves 4 to 6
(You will want a shell type of pasta or a cupped pasta that will hold the sauce)
345g of sour cream (1 1/2 cups)
Bring a lightly salted pot of water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse.
Whisk the sour cream,
mayonnaise, milk, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 of the
cheddar cheese together with the flaked tuna, spring onions, peas, dill
and seasoning. Fold in the cooked pasta.
Pour this mixture into the
prepared baking dish, smooth over and cover tightly with foil. Bake
for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake
for a further five to ten minutes until the cheese melts. Serve hot.
These types of meals are my favourite kinds of meals. I love throwing together store cupboard ingredients and coming up with something tasty. With the weather we had today I was not going out to the shed to get anything so I made do with what I had in the house, and quite deliciously so! Bon Appetit!
These types of meals are my favourite kinds of meals. I love throwing together store cupboard ingredients and coming up with something tasty. With the weather we had today I was not going out to the shed to get anything so I made do with what I had in the house, and quite deliciously so! Bon Appetit!
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