We eat a lot of chicken in our house as opposed to other meats. That is because it is quite economical in comparison and much healthier. Kind of the opposite to when I was growing up. Back then Chicken was a rare treat. Now it is quite common, and I confess, most of the time, I choose the breasts because they are so easy to do something with. They are like a blank canvas that takes to many flavour additions!
You can slather them with just about anything and they will come out tasting good. A very popular chicken dish over here is called Hunter's Chicken. Basically Hunter's Chicken is chicken breasts cooked with bacon and topped with BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese.
You can buy it all ready to cook in most of the shops over here. But you pay a lot of money for something which is so simple that a child could put it together. It's really easy peasy.
Why pay a fortune for something so simple, when you can knock up the same thing at half the price and for more people on top of it all! Those ready made things are only ever for two people, so family would have to buy two packs or more of them.
And while you are at it, why stop at just slathering it with BBQ sauce, bacon and cheese, when . . . with just a tiny bit of extra effort . . . you can have something quite outstanding!!!
I marinate my chicken breasts first in some teriyaki sauce. Poke them all over with a fork first so that the teriyaki flavour gets right in there.
Then, while the marinated chicken is baking I cook some bacon, and then in the drippings I cook some slices onion, peppers and mushrooms. I slather the mostly baked chicken with a bit of BBQ sauce, sop with the sauteed vegetables, then the bacon and finally some cheese and I bake it some more until the chicken is tender done and the cheese is bubbly and melted all over that bacon, mushroom, chicken combo . . .
*Hunter's Chicken*
Serves 4
Why settle for less!!! Why indeed??? Bon appetit!!!
Cinnamon Tea Cake. Sometimes I just crave cake. I know that as a diabetic I should not indulge this craving, but every now and again, I really must. So long as I am careful about everything else, it is a craving I can indulge from time to time.
When I do feel the urge to indulge this lush moist tea cake recipe fits the bill perfectly. It comes together in minutes, has a lovely buttery crumb and a lovely cinnamon sugar crust. Its wonderful with your morning hot cuppa!
Serve warm with glasses of cold milk for a delicious teatime treat!
60g butter, softened (4 1/2 TBS)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
150g caster sugar (2/3 cup)
1 large free range egg
150g self raising flour (1 cup, plus 1 1/2 TBS) sifted
80ml milk (1/3 cup)
10g butter, melted, extra (2 tsp)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 TBS caster sugar, extra
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 inch deep round cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
Beat
the butter, vanilla, sugar and egg together until light and fuffy with
an electric whisk, about 10 minutes. Stir in the milk and flour.
Spread into the prepared baking tin, smoothing the top. Bake for about
30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and
the top springs back when lightly touched.
Turn
the cake onto a wire rack, then turn topside up. Brush the warm cake
with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Serve warm.
This is not a particularly fancy cake, but a plain cake.
Simple to make with simple flavours . . . it won't win any beauty contests, for sure.
But what it might lack in beauty, it more than makes up for in flavour and in texture.
This is a light cake, fluffy. It is simple but that simplicity is enhanced by the cinnamon sugar topping.
I like to serve it with milk and fresh fruit, although the originally recipe suggests buttering it.
Hmm... I have never tried that, but it might be very good that way.
However you choose to enjoy it, there is one thing for sure. You WILL enjoy it.
No doubt about that whatsoever. The simple things in life truly are the best. And I have a great fondness for the simple things.
*Cinnamon Tea Cake*
Makes 10 servings
Mix together the cinnamon and extra sugar.
If you are looking for a simple basic cake to bake this weekend, that is quick and quite tasty, this just might be it! A recipe which has stood the test of time. Bon Appetit!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Today I found that I had half a tin of sweetened condensed milk languishing in the refrigerator. I also had a punnet of raspberries that needed using up.
I did what any good cook and baker would do. I went on a search for some ideas of what I could do with them.
I came up with this tasty recipe which I found. It was too large for just the two of us, however and I didn't have enough of the milk to make the full recip.
So I used my noggin' and cut the recipe successfully in half. I also managed to convert it to British measurements, so that was also a win!
(Before Baking)
I find recipes are very easy to cut in half when you weigh instead of measure things. It works very well. That is why baking by weight is much more precise. There is no guess work involved.
Do you love chocolate? Fresh Raspberries? Buttery cookie crusts? Then this is the bar/slice for you!
(After Baking)
I cut all of the ingredients in half. I was able to bake them in an 8 inch square pan. Easy peasy.
I made sure to line the pan with a good overhang of baking parchment. I always do this when making squares. This helps to make them really easy to lift out after they hve cooled.
Its also very easy to cut squares if you have the out of the pan. You get a much neater finish.
With these squares, you end up with a crisp and buttery brown sugar, almost shortbread-like crust. That is topped with a sweet milk chocolate filling, cookie dough crumbles, semi sweet chocolate chips and fresh raspberries.
What's not to like about that! Not a heck of a lot I say! Not a heck of a lot!
I got16 small bars by initially cutting the 8 inch square into an "X" going from one corner to the opposite corner in two directions.
So what I ended up with was 4 large triangles.
Then I did a cut straight down from the middle going from both sides, which gave me 8 medium size triangles, then I cut each triangle in half, giving me 16.
Truth be told, however, no matter which way you cut them, if you bake these, you are in for a very, VERY moreish treat that will have everyone scrambling for seconds!
These are truly irresitably deliciously impossible to put down!
Because they contain fresh fruit and milk products, you will want to keep them in the refrigerator.
I am guessing that for those very same reasons they probably won't freeze all that well, but I could be wrong. ☺ Just so you know.
*Chocolate Raspberry Pie Bars*
Maes 10 to 20 bars
(half measures in {} ) The baking time remains the same.
I did dust them with some icing sugar because I thought
they would be prettier, but it wasn't
really necessary!
If you only bake one thing this weekend, let it be these!!
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!
That's why when I saw this recipe in my cookbook entitled "Genius Recipes" by Kristen Miglore, I just knew I had to make it. In fact this is the recipe on the cover of the book, and this is the recipe which tempted me into buying the book in the first place.
And I am ever so glad I did because all 100 recipes in the book are spectacular. I highly recommend this book to anyone, and no, I did not get the book for free and I am not being paid to say so. I quite simply love this book.
And this simple and delicious recipe is the perfect example of the deliciousness on it's pages. Attributed to Marcella Hazen originally, it perfectly exemplifies the genius of putting together simple ingredients in a perfect way with the result being optimum deliciousness!
It needs nothing else, bar some seasoning . . . it's just perfect the way it is. None of the flavours overwhelm the other . . . and yet . . . when you are eating it . . . each tantatalizes your mouth . . . yep . . . there is butteriness . . . and rich tomato . . . and the perfect sublety of onions. Nothing smacks you in the face, but they all work together in complete harmony, one with the other. A grating of Parmigiano Reggiano on the top and it was good to go.
*Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onion.*
Serves 6
Fresh ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for serving
This was TOTALLY delicious. A new favourite! You can also see the original recipe here on Food 52.
You know it really is the simple things that taste the best. I could eat this until it comes out my ears. Bon appetit!
I found myself with half a loaf of stale white bread this week. I had bought it to make sandwiches with the other day and it didn't get all used up. I don't like waste so I thought I would make one of Todd's favourite desserts. Bread and Butter Pudding. He doesn't get it very often because most of the time we use whole wheat bread with a bit of rye in it and that doesn't translate very well into a bread and butter pudding. Although having said that I have never really tried. Food for thought there folks, food for thought . . .
I think Bread and Butter Pudding has to be one of the easiest puddings to make. If you can butter bread, you can make bread and butter pudding!
You want your bread to be quite stale. (NOT moldy.) If it is a tiny bit dry, so much the better. That allows it to soak up the custard better.
Of course you can make it just with slices of buttered bread, but why not add something special and make it with buttered jam sandwiches . . . apricot jam sandwiches!!
Having said that any jam would work. Strawberry. Raspberry. Black currant. Blueberry. Cherry. Apricot is especially fine however, plus you have the added bonus of it not dying your pudding an un-godly freakish grey colour.
Other than the setting time for the custard to soak into the bread, it goes together really quickly and is delicious served slightly warm with lashings of double cream. Rich. Delicious. The perfect pud to spoil a husband with on a rainy day.
*Apricot Bread & Butter Pudding*
Serves 4
Serves 4
A delicious bread and butter pudding with the added twist of a layer of sweet apricot jam.
2 TBS softened butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
8 thin slices of sturdy white bread (stale is best)
good quality apricot jam
the grated zest of one lemon
330ml whole milk (1 1/3 cup)
60ml double cream (1/4 cup)
2 large free range eggs
30g caster sugar (2 1/2 TBS)
freshly grated nutmeg
demerara sugar for sprinkling
Butter a 2 pint pie dish with butter. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4.
Trim the crusts off of the bread and butter each slice on one side. Spread half of the slices thickly with some apricot jam, on the unbuttered side. Put together with the other half of the slices like little jam sandwiches, with the buttered sides showing on the outside of each. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally and then place into the prepared dish.
Place the milk in a pan over low heat. Add the lemon zest. Scald. (Heat just until you see bubbles appearing around the edges. Do not let it boil.) Whisk in the cream.
Break the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and beat together well. Whisk in the heated milk slowly. Strain the resulting custard into a beaker, then pour this custard over the bread mixture. Let stand for about 30 minutes so that it is absorbed somewhat. Sprinkle with some freshly grated nutmeg and a dusting of demerara sugar.
Place into the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top is a golden brown. Serve warm.
You know, I really believe that it is the simple things in life which bring us the most joy, don't you? Bon Appetit!
Note - I did dust it with a bit of icing sugar for photography purposes. Its not really necessary to do that.
I always keep ready made meatballs in my freezer. Not store bought ready made, but my own homemade ready made. This is the recipe I use here. It makes a lot, but these are really handy to have in the freezer ready to use when you need them.
Simple
to make and delicious. A real family favourite. A bit of a cheat in
that you use ready made meatballs, but sometimes one must needs do what
one needs do!
100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
120ml rice wine vinegar (1/2 cup)
65g tomato sauce (1/4 cup tomato ketchup)
1 TBS soy sauce
590ml pineapple juice (2 1/4 cups)
1 TBS corn flour (cornstarch)
1 (435g) (14 ounce) tin of pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice for above)
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
To serve:
steamed rice
Preheat
the oven to 190*C/365*F/ gas mark 5. Place the meatballs and pineapple
chunks into a large casserole dish which has a lid for covering.
Whisk
2 TBS of the pineapple juice together with the corn flour to make a
paste. Set aside. Whisk the brown sugar, vinegar, tomato sauce, soy
sauce and remaining pineapple juice together and pour over the
vegetables. Bring to the boil. Whisk in the pineapple/corn flour mix,
stirring constantly. Cook until bubbling and thickened. Pour this over
the meatballs and pineapple in the casserole dish. Cover tightly.
Bake
in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until well heated through
and nicely thickened. Serve hot with some steamed rice.
I confess, I have also used ready made Swedish Meatballs in this recipe in the past and it has worked beautifully.
The only kind of ready made meat ball I would not use would be Italian ones as the ingredients in Italian meatballs would jar somewhat with the flavours of the sweet and sour sauce.
In a pinch you can also use cubed ham, or Spam. Yes, I did say that word. Spam. We happen to like Spam.
I have also used sausage meat, which I have removed from the skins, rolled into balls and browned. Let me just say, they are superdy duperdy good.
But do try making your own bulk meatballs and keeping them in the freezer for just such a day as this.
You will find they are really a great ingredient to have on hand.
This sauce is fabulous. Not too sweet. Not too sour.
With the perfect balance of both, and plenty of crunch from the carrots, colour from the peppers, and then there is that sweetness from the pineapple. We love pineapple.
Well, altogether we love these meatballs! There you have it!
*Pineapple Sweet & Sour Meatballs*
Serves 6
1/2 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
25 ready made meatballs
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and red pepper. Cook, stirring, until they have softened.
In the summer months, you can also simmer the meatballs in the sauce in a pan on top of the stove. You won't get that nice golden colour on the meatballs, but what the heck, they are still delicious irregardless of the colour. I hope you will give them a go! Bon Appetit!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
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