We are almost into the too hot for soup days, but this past weekend was kind of chilly I thought . . . rainy, windy and with a bit of a cold wind. It was soup weather and I thought I would take advantage of that by making a lovely pot of one of my favourite soups. Mother's Creamy Tomato Soup.
Note, this is not my mother's homemade tomato soup recipe but rather a tomato soup recipe which I made on occasion when I worked as a chef at the Manor for the family. Its a bit more involved than normal tomato soups, and you do use a few utensils to make it, but it is well worth the effort as the end result is a thick and creamy soup with beautiful rich tomato flavour!
You will want to make sure you use really good tinned tomatoes for this recipe. I use Cirio chopped tomatoes in tomato juice as you know. Widely available in all the shops, in my opinion, they are the best. Fragrant and tasty with a beautiful rich red colour. They are never insipid or sharp. I think they are pretty perfect. I also use their tomato puree (tomato paste,) and for the same reasons. And no, I am not being paid to say that.
They might cost a bit more, but it is worth it in taste. When you are making something which is basically tomato flavoured, you want to use the best.
Back to the soup, this is rich and creamy . . . thick but not overly so . . . not thin either. I can't believe that I had never made it for us at home before. I had only ever made it at the manor and I knew that it tasted good because of course as the chef you do have to taste, but this weekend was the first time I had ever enjoyed a bowl of it here at home.
And enjoy it we did! With nice chunks of a fresh French baguette! I confess . . . I am very naughty and I always like to add a tiny knob of butter to the top of my bowl of soup and swirl it in. Hmm . . . probably why I look the way I do, lol.
Oh well . . . . in for a penny in for a pound (s)! The recipe is adapted from one found in a cookery magazine from a number of years back entitled, "Comfort Food, wholesome recipes that take you back home" great recipes from Mother's Bistro & Bar. You can't get much more comforting than tomato soup can you?
*Mother's Creamy Tomato Soup*
Serves 4
450ml milk (2 cups)
150ml double cream (2/3 cup heavy cream)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Melt 1 TBS of butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and
celery. Cover and cook on low over low heat until very soft, about 20
minutes. Add the bay leaf, thyme, tinned tomatoes and tomato puree.
Bring to a simmer and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes.
Melt
the remaining butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Cook for
several minutes to cook out the flour taste. It should smell a bit
nutty. Slowly whisk in the single cream (half and half) and milk, allowing the flour
mixture to absorb each addition before adding another. Bring to a boil,
then reduce to a slow simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Pour this into the pot with the tomatoes, whisking it in
well. Whisk in the double cream. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes
longer. Remove the bay leaf and thyme.
This soup is really, really good. I didn't mind that it was worth all the extra faffing about. The end result is exceptional! In fact, I would serve this at a rustic dinner party as a first course, in which case it would serve more people. Bon Appetit!
Oh boy, I can't believe how lazy I get sometimes. Yes, even I have days when I can't be asked to cook or I am too busy to cook and those are the days when a recipe like this one comes in really handy!
Its great for those lazy nights . . . for the too hot to cook nights . . . for the busier than a hen hauling wood nights . . .
Its also quite economical and quick, oh and did I mention that its delicious? Well it is all of those things and more, much more!
I have never had a real cheese steak sandwich, I hasten to add. Never even been close to Philadelphia, but I know what I like to eat and these I like to eat.
Its as easy as softening some onions, mushrooms and green bell peppers in a pan, adding some stock and cooked steak slices . . .
Pile that onto toasted hoagie buns that you have slathered with creamy horseradish sauce, top with some cheese and dinner is served!
It could not be easier. I have given quantities for two people, but you can easily multiply the amounts to serve more than two people.
I use a combination of Edam and Gouda cheeses because they melt really easily, but you could use whatever cheese you fancy. Fontina would be good actually.
For the beef stock I use the little gel stock packs you can get over here from the people at Knorr. I like the rich beef ones. They have lots of flavour, and a rich dark colour!
*Quick & Easy Cheese Steak Sandwiches*
Serves 21 small green bell pepper, trimmed and cut into strips
2 TBS creamy horseradish sauce
2 hoagie buns 
If you can't get refrigerated cooked Steak slices you could also use sliced deli roast beef, cut into strips. Either way it is delicious. I really hope you will add these to your summer/weekday/lazyday meal repertoire! Bon Appetit!
When I went to dig the smarties out of the cupboard I spied this mix of goodies that I had bought the last time I went shopping and I thought . . . this would be fabulous in these cookies. With a mix of chocolate coated salted caramel bits, sultanas and tiny bits of dried apple . . . it was calling to me.
And so I decided to throw them in. I also threw in a couple handfuls of rice crispies cereal for crunch, and some milk chocolate chocolate chips . . .
They smelled really good when they were baking . . . but then again, tell me a homemade cookie that doesn't! It doesn't exist!
I confess I have created a monster. A total monster. So bad that I had three of them for breakfast this morning and I am eyeing them as I write this because they are calling out to me . . . every mouthful is buttery and sweet . . . crisp edged, chewy centred and stogged full of lovely bits of all the things I love. These are gorgeous!
*Kitchen Sink Cookies*
Makes about 2 dozenmilk chocolate chips. You could also
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper. Set aside.
Cream the butter together with both sugars and the vanilla until light and creamy. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir this into the creamed mixture with a wooden spoon. Stir in your favourite add ins. Drop by heaped TBS onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space in between for spreading.
Bake for 12 to 13 minutes until golden brown around the edges and set. Let sit on the baking sheets for several minutes before scooping out onto wire racks to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.
Be prepared to totally love these. Hmmm . . . they are what I would consider dangerous! Bon Appetit!
I got a request earlier this week for Orange Muffins and what could I do? I just had to bake some.
Not sure if they will please the person who asked for them. All I can tell you for sure is that WE love these!
I do have anothe orange muffin recipe which we also like which uses a whole orange ground up, but this recipe here today is a bit simpler, but still very orangy.
With plenty of fresh orange juice and finely grated orange zest in the batter . . .
You can add dried fruit, or nuts, or even poppy seeds if you wish.
I had some dried currants I wanted to use up and so today I used them. Mmmm . . . perfect.
They also have a lovely but optional orange icing glaze that you dip the tops of the muffins into while still warm.
They also have a lovely but optional orange icing glaze that you dip the tops of the muffins into while still warm.
That has orange juice and zest in it also.
Buttery, moist and stogged full of orange from the outside in. These are winners all round!
280g plain flour (2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 large free range egg, beaten
100g sugar (1/2 cup)
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
150ml fresh orange juice (5 fluid ounces)
60ml water (2 fluid ounces)
85g raisins, sultanas, chopped dates or prunes, dried currants (1/2 cup) optional
Note - You can also replace the fruit with 1 to 2 TBS of poppy seeds.
If you are looking for a lovely orange muffin, look no further. These fit the bill all round! They make a great weekend breakfast treat, or for your elevensies! Bon Appetit!
*Orange Muffins*
Makes 11 medium muffins
Fresh orange flavours, filled with optional fruit and glazed with an optional glaze. These are winners!
90ml vegetable oil (3 fluid ounces)
60g plain yogurt (1/4 cup)
Optional glaze:
60g icing sugar (scant half cup)
2 tsp orange juice
1/4 tsp finely grated orange zest
Preheat the oven to 190*C/3758f/ gas mark 5. Butter a non-stick muffin tin really well, or line with muffin papers. Set aside.
Whisk
the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together in a bowl. If you are
using any dried fruit, stir it in now. Beat together the egg, sugar,
orange zest, orange juice, water, oil and yogurt. Add all at once to the
dry ingredients. Stir lightly just to combine. No dry flour should be
visible. Spoon into the prepared muffin tins.
Bake for 20 minutes until well risen and the tops spring back when lightly touched.
Whisk
together all of the glaze ingredients. Tip the tops of the warm muffins
into the glaze and place onto a rack to set the glaze. Delicious warm
or cold!
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.
We are great lovers of Gingerbread in this house. There is something about a gingerbread baking in the oven that just gets my tastebuds to tingling.
If we were Hansel and Gretel we would be gonners, because we'd be nibble-nibble-nibbling at that old witches house non-stop!
I have quite a few recipes for gingerbread that I really like. All are my favourites for a variety of reasons.
Some because they are super gingery . . . some because they are super easy . . . some because they are super moist . . . I love this one for ALL of those reasons!
There is nothing fancy about it. It's just a simple recipe. You beat together some butter and sugar, beat in an egg and molasses.
The original recipe didn't call for it, but I have added vanilla and lemon extracts because I have found through the years that they enhance the warm spice flavours of a good gingerbread.
You stir dry ingredients into wet and then you beat in a cup of hot water that you have dissolved some baking soda in and pour it into the pan.
Older recipes like this usually called for dissolving the soda in hot water. I am not sure why that is.
My guess is so that the activation, or bubbling action starts sooner.
But I am not an expert on these things.
Another guess would be that it
helps the baking soda to really get mixed into the batter evenly, and if
you have ever bitten into a cookie or a cake and bitten into a lump of
soda, you know that is a yukky yukky thing to have happen to you!
This cake cooks in a very short period of time. It takes about half an hour and
makes a lovely large cake.
The smell when it is baking is amazing.
Warm and spicy and home sweet homeish.
No frosting is needed . . . its fabulous just as it is, but we can never resist splitting warm slabs of the cake and buttering them.
SOOOOOOOOO delicious that way! (I know we are very naughty!) Of course a scoop of vanilla ice cream sitting on top of a warm slab is also a very tasty way to enjoy!
*Grandmother's Gingerbread*
Makes one 9 by 13 inch cake
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 13 inch non-stick baking tin really well. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, salt, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Beat in the egg. Beat the egg, molasses and extracts together. Stir this into the dry ingredients. Stir the soda into the hot water to dissolve and stir this into the batter, mixing in until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until risen and the top springs back when lightly touched. The top will look sticky and shiny. Leave to cool in the pan. Serve warm with butter, if desired.
Whisk together the flour, salt, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Beat in the egg. Beat the egg, molasses and extracts together. Stir this into the dry ingredients. Stir the soda into the hot water to dissolve and stir this into the batter, mixing in until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until risen and the top springs back when lightly touched. The top will look sticky and shiny. Leave to cool in the pan. Serve warm with butter, if desired.
There is no time like the present to bake this simple and easy cake. You will thank me for it afterwards. And your family will be thanking you. Thanks Grandmother! Bon Appetit!
NOTE - Don't be tempted to use dark treacle in this. It is a lot stronger than molasses. If you must because you cannot get molasses use a mix of dark treacle and golden syrup.
NOTE - Don't be tempted to use dark treacle in this. It is a lot stronger than molasses. If you must because you cannot get molasses use a mix of dark treacle and golden syrup.
We had the best news ever yesterday about my husband's cancer. The radiation did its job and it has been eradicated.
We celebrated after seeing the specialist by enjoying an egg custard tart a piece in the hospital cafe, and then we came home and I made my husband one of his favourite dinners. Chicken and Dumplings!
You will need cooked chicken to make these. I had actually roasted a chicken the day before so that I would have plenty to make this dish, just in case!
You could also poach some chicken breasts, use a rotisserie chicken, whatever works for you!
My husband is not a hard man to please. He is a simple man with simple tastes and he was in heaven when I set a bowl of this in front of him.
Literal heaven. He just loves chicken and dumplings!
I love them too, and not just because they are delicious. I also love them because they are a really simple supper to make.
You just make a simple chicken stock gravy and drop in the cooked chicken, and then drop buttery dumplings on top, cover and steam. Easy peasy.
The hardest part really IS keeping yourself from peeking while the dumplings are cooking. Trust me when I tell you that is the quickest and easiest way to ruin a good dumpling.
Just throw caution to the wind, pop that lid on and have patience and faith that they will turn out!
Remember . . . If you be looking the dumplings ain't cooking! Its a total truth. DON'T look, not even for a second.
Your patience and self control will be rewarded by light and fluffy dumplings . . . so tasty nestled in a bowl of that delicious chicken stew. Dig in! Supper is served!
*Chicken & Dumplings*
Serves 4 Stir in the flour
and cook for a few minutes to cook out the flour taste. Slowly whisk
in the warm stock, and cook, stirring until the mixture bubbles and
thickens. Let cook on a slow simmer for about 15 minutes at which time
the vegetables should have softened nicely. Taste and adjust seasoning
with salt and black pepper.
I can't think of a better reason to celebrate than the good news we got from the hospital, can you? We were both well over the moon.
This was the perfect celebratory meal. Much nicer than anything we could have found in a restaurant and a heck of a lot cheaper! Bon Appetit!
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