Thankfully I was always a good cook and quite adept at creating something very delicious out of not a lot! Tasty dishes such as this stone soup I am showing you today . . .
There
was a method to my madness . . . while they might not have gotten
excited about a bowl of cabbage soup, calling it Stone Soup immediately
made them want to tuck in!
I
am sure you are familiar with the story of the beggar who went to a poor village looking for a place to sleep and a bite to eat. The villagers were very suspicious however and were not that eager to help, but being as canny and smart as he was, he inspired them into helping him create a delicious stone soup that the whole village shared together at the end of the story. You can find the story here.
Its a wonderful story with a great moral to it, teaching children that if we can work together on things, then amazing things will begin to happen!
Things like delicious pots of soup that started with not a lot more than half a cabbage, an onion, a tin of tomatoes, some water and a vegetable stock pot.
Of course there are a few seasonings involved as well, which are never a problem in my house because I always have a well stocked herb drawer.
With a bit of crusty bread on the side this soup goes down a real treat! We have always loved it. It takes the humble cabbage and lifts it up into something quite, quite magnificent!
*Stone Soup*
Serves 4 generously
There was another meal that my children used to gobble up that I called Monkey in the Middle, which was simply stewed meat in the middle of a plate, surrounded by a ring of corn and then a ring of rice. The children loved that. It was simple and delicious and made all the more so for its name. Funny how that goes! Bon Appetit!
My husband doesn't quite understand our North American obsession with meatloaf. Its not something he grew up with.
On the other hand for we North Americans, meatloaf is somewhat of an institution. It is what I would call comfort food at its best!
Its not something which really photographs well, but hey ho. Don't just this book by its cover because it is absolutely delicious!
Brown food never photographs well. I have always struggled with it. That doesn't mean it doesn't taste good. I've never met a brownie I didn't like, brown or not. And brownies are notoriously hard to photograph!
This version of meatloaf is a bit different than the usual meatloaf. For this recipe, you season your meat and pat it out to a rectangle.
You then cover it with a type of onion stuffing mix. This is made from simmering onions in beef stock, and mixing that with dried bread crumbs.
A layer of grated strong cheddar cheese gets sprinkled over that. I favour a nice strong cheddar for the best and most flavour.
You roll the whole thing up like a jelly roll. A big, fat, meaty jelly roll. Or Swiss roll if you would rather . . .
It gets baked in the oven until golden brown. I always like to glaze my mealoaves for an extra special touch.
This one is no different. I glazed it with a mix of tomato ketchup and maple syrup, for a bit of sticky yum yum.
More cheese is melted on top and then it gets served cut into slices with whatever your favourite sides are. You could serve gravy with it, but we like tomato ketchup!
Chill any leftovers and then serve the next day, thinly sliced and popped into sandwiches for a tasty lunch! Scrummo!
*Stuffed Meatloaf*
Serves 6
80ml beef stock (1/3 cup)
150g bread cubes (about 1/4 inch) toasted (2 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp each onion, and garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme, rubbed
Mix the meat together with the egg, onion and garlic powders, salt, pepper and thyme. Pat out into a 14 inch by 8 inch rectangle on a piece of cling film. Cover with the bread crumb mixture. Sprinkle evenly with 120g of the cheese (1 cup). Starting from a short end, roll up tightly. Place seamside down into an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch loaf dish.
Bake uncovered, for 55 minutes. Whisk together the maple syrup and the ketchup. Brush over top, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until glazed and the cheese has melted. Let stand for a few minutes before cutting into slices to serve.
I love comfort food meals like this. I served it with scalloped potatoes and mixed vegetables, but mash would go equally as well, or yes . . . mac and cheese. 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 Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I am not sure where the tradition of making fudge at Christmas began, but I know that we always had a pan of fudge in our home for the Christmas holidays, the whole time I was growing up.
Normally it would be my mother's peanut butter fudge. What a treat that was! She didn't have a recipe for it. She made it off the top of her head.
She always used the same aluminum pot for it and filled it up according to the size of that pot with the ingredients needed for the fudge. It turned out perfect every time and so delicious.
One year I watched her making it and wrote down every thing she did, and composed my own measurements for it. Somehow though, while it is still very good, it never quite tastes as good as the memory of hers tastes!
Food memories have a tendancy to be like that!
My ex husband loved chocolate fudge and I had his mother's recipe for that. Sometimes it turned out, other times it didn't.
This chocolate fudge here today ALWAYS turns out. It is fool proof.
Not only is it foolproof, but it is creamy and delicious and uses things you probably have in your kitchen right now.
Well, if you are like me at any rate!
It has walnuts in it and chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. I am sure I probably got the recipe from a tin of the milk years and years ago.
Whatever . . . I can attest to the fact that is is truly no fail and always delicious. You can of course leave out the nuts.
For the holidays I like to make it a little bit extra special and I shape it into a wreath, which is very easily done.
You just shape it in a lined cake tin, around a small unopened tin of food that you have wrapped in cling film, and decorate with glace cherries to look like holly.
Its a doddle and looks so pretty.
You can pop it into a pretty tin lined with tissue paper for gift giving. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy getting this for Christmas!
Its so creamy and delicious and so easy to make. It's a win/win thing all around!
*Foolproof Chocolate Fudge*
Makes 1 pound
Have ready a 8 or 9 inch square pan, which you have lined with
greaseproof paper, wax paper or plastic cling film. Alternately if you
are making a wreath, line an 8 or 9 inch round tin. For the wreath,
wrap a small sized tin with plastic cling film and place into the centre
of the round tin.
My husband really likes this. Funny, he is not fond of chocolate cakes or cookies, but chocolate candy or fudge he loves! Especially if there are some toasted nuts and candied cherries involved! Happy Holidays!
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 am here today with a delicious cookie that will be a fabulous addition to your Christmas baking list. These Gingerbread Biscotti would not only be great on your cookie trays, but perfect for cookie exchanges.
They also make for a wonderful gift in a basket, with some nice coffee mugs, hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, etc. all tied up with a bow!
Biscotti are one of my favourite cookies for baking! They are as simple as making up a dough, shaping it into logs and then baking the logs.
Once the logs are baked (see above) you cut them crosswise into sices and bake again . . . the second baking gives them that characteristic crunch that we all love. Perfect for dunking!
I wish they had smell-aputer! Because the smell of these baking will rock your world to heaven and back again!
Seriously, they smell fabulous, when baking and afterwards!
I wish I could bottle the fragrance up and sell it. I'd be a millionaire I am sure. Pure heavenly bliss!
Just you wait and see. These smell like Christmas, pure and simple!
Crisp and gingerbready with a bit of a snap, these are great on their own with just the icing sugar dust gilding the top . . . but . . .
With just a tiny bit more effort you can have a glorious drizzle icing that looks like icicles gilding the top. I sprinkled on some white non pareils as well, for an additional snowy effect! Very pretty!
These smell heavenly when they are baking. Oh boy. Delicious and crisp and everything a good biscotti should be!
Preheat the oven to 180*C350*F/ gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with baking paper.
Sift together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and black pepper. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and brown sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and molasses. Stir in the flour mixture to make a stiff dough, mixing all together well.
Using lightly floured hands divide the dough into halves and shape each half into a 12 inches by 2 inches log on each baking sheet. Dust generously with icing sugar.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove from the baking sheets to a cutting board and cut across into 3/4 inch slices. Place the slices, cut side down, onto the baking sheets and bake for a further 10 minutes or so until crisp. Cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They can also be frozen for about a month.
Optional: Glaze and decorate with a simple white icing glaze and some white non-pareils. Simply whisk together 260g icing sugar (2 cups) with a few drops vanilla and just enough milk to give you a smooth drizzle. Dip the upper edges into the icing and then into the non-pareils. Let sit until the icing has set and dried completely before storing.
I am going to have to bake another batch because the first batch I made is gone, gone, gone. These are that good, and we are that naughty! Happy holidays and 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 Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
With really careful planning you can get a lot of milage out of a
simple beef roast. For instance the brisket that I cooked the other day
as a pot roast, has also yielded us two more meals.
One in the shape
of a delicious hash the second in this festively fun
Frosty Cottage Pie today! So while we may sometimes cringe at the cost of such a large piece of meat, in the long run it can be quite ecoomical!
For these I used a brisket roast which I cooked in the slow cooker as a pot roast on the first day. Careful use of an already cheaper cut of meat makes it even more of a
bargain.
And what a fun way to use it up! I guarantee
nobody will be turning their noses up at these leftovers!
I have used pepper corns, roasted red pepper slices and frozen peas to dress up my "Frosty's!" You will want to warn your children and husband or partner to remove the peppercorns prior to eating.
You don't want them to eat something which they may find a bit too spicy. But what a
delightful presentation for what is essentially leftovers.
I have photographed it prior to baking so you can see it at it's cutest, the peas do darken a bit upon baking, but it remains totally whimiscal and delightfully pleasing no matter the colour of the peas. You can add a dusting of cheese on top if you wish as well.
If you are not into
snowmen, you can just pile the mashed potatoes on top and dust them with
cheese prior to baking, but why not be a bit frivolous and take the
extra time to make the snowmen, especially during this festive season!
*Frosty Cottage Pie*
Serves 4
Serves 4
This recipe is just a bit of fun I came up with to use up the rest of my leftover roast from the other day. It's deliciously festive!
3 cups chopped leftover roast beef (450g)
2 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 TBS butter3 TBS plain flour
1 1/2 cups of beef stock (360ml)
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 TBS tomato catsup
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chopped leftover vegetables (or frozen if you have none leftover) (300g)
3 to 4 cups of leftover or fresh mashed potatoes (500g - 650g)
(If you are using leftover mash, use a couple of Tablespoons of sour cream
or milk to slacken the mixture a bit)
To decorate:
whole peppercorns
roasted pepper strips
thawed frozen peas
Heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Butter a round casserole dish. Set aside.
Heat
the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring
frequently over medium heat to soften without colouring. Stir in the
garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the butter and allow it to
melt, then stir in the plain flour. Cook for a further minute. Add the
beef stock and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to
the boil and thickens somewhat. If it is too thick you may add a bit
more stock. (Alternately, if you have leftover beef gravy, you may use
that instead but you will need about 1 1/2 cups of it.) Whisk in the
Worcestershire Sauce, thyme and catsup. Stir in the lefover meat and
vegetables. Heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
Pour this mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
Using
an ice cream scoop, scoop out the mashed potatoes into circles in the
shape of a snowman on top of the hot meat mixture. I used a regular
sized ice cream scoop for the bottoms and a slightly smaller one for the
tops. It helps if you spray it with some non stick cooking spray
first. Use peppercorns to create eyes, pepper strips to make scarves
and peas for the buttons.
Bake in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until well heated and bubbly. Serve hot.
Note - If you don't have any leftover cooked roast beef, you can use
minced beef in it's place in equal quantities, browning it in a skillet
before you add the onions. Brown the beef, add the onions and continue
as per recipe from there on.
Happy Holidays!
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!
Lemon Cardamom Drizzle Loaf. If you are a fan of Lemon Drizzle Cake or loaves prepare yourself to fall in love. Yes, another Lemon Drizzle cake, but this one is amazing.
This is a variation of my ex mother in law Elizabeth's recipes. My ex MIL was such a wonderful cook. Basic, but a really good cook, with sound and reliable recipes. I have been baking this lovely loaf of hers for nigh onto 41 years now!
The only thing different I do than to what she did is that I added some ground cardamom. Cardamom and lemon go really well together doncha know!
I quite adore it in almost anything, but especially in baked goods.
If you leave this lush loaf to sit overnight it slices beautifully. That is the hardest part for me, leaving something overnight without digging into it. I am such a glutton!
It has plenty of walnuts in it. I like to toast the walnuts before adding them. (Make sure you cool them down before adding them to the batter.) Toasting nuts always really brings out their delicious nuttiness!
This has lovely lemon flavours . . . both in the batter and in the sugar drizzle with you pour over top while the loaf is still warm.
It soaks into the surface of the bread and creates a crispy sugar crackle surface that is oh so tangy/sweet tasty!
This also makes a great loaf for gift giving. I can't think of anyone that wouldn't like to receive one of these. Its so moist and delicious!
You could wrap it up in some cling film, and tie it with a pretty ribbon, and then present it in a bread basket with a pretty napkin for lining the basket, and some nice herbal or otherwise teas.
You could also include a nice handwritten recipe card with the recipe on it and a pretty mug or cup. Now that sounds like a lovely gift, I think!
*Lemon & Cardamom Drizzle Loaf*
Makes one medium loaf
the finely grated zest of one lemon
2 large free range eggs, beaten
For the glaze:
the juice of one lemon
65g sugar (1/3 cup)
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
Preheat the oven to 165*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Line a buttered medium loaf tin with baking paper. Set aside.
Whisk together the lemon juice cardamom and sugar for the glaze and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and cardamom. Stir in the walnuts. Add this to the creamed mixture, alternately with the milk to combine. Spoon into the prepared baking tin. Bake for 1 hour until well risen and the top springs back when lightly touched. A toothpick inserted in the centre should also come out clean.
While the loaf is still warm and still in the pan, pour the glaze ingredients over top, allowing them to settle in. Let cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before lifting out to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into slices to serve. Store in an airtight container.
I love these old recipes. They are such treasures! This is a great bread for the holidays for sure! 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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