I talk to my oldest daughter pretty much every day on the computer. I am really grateful for our relationship and how close we are to each other.
The whole time I was growing up I wanted a daughter with blond hair and brown eyes. I was going to call her Honey, after a character in a book I had read.
What if I told you that you could have a lovely, deliciously rustic and flavourful loaf of homemade yeast bread sitting on your table in less than 2 hours! Would you believe me??
What if I told you that you wouldn't have to knead it at all . . . that an electric whisk would do all the work for you! Then, would you believe me???
Well, you better start believing because it is absolutely true! Not only is this loaf, light and delicious . . . but it is also quick and easy . . .
Filled with the goodness of whole grains and the natural sweetness of honey . . .
With a beautiful light crumb . . . and wonderful flavours . . . honey, whole wheat, rye . . . and no kneading involved at all.
Just look at that beautiful texture . . . and soft crust . . .
This has to be one of the easiest loaves of bread you could ever bake and you don't need a bread machine and you won't have to break your back making it.
You just simply pop all of the ingredients in the bowl and let an electric mixer do all the work for you . . . I used my Kenwood electric hand mixer, not the stand mixer.
Scrape it into your prepared bread tin and top with some sunflower seeds and let it rise . . . about 40 to 50 minutes is all it takes, and then a 45 minute back in the oven . . .
Presto chango, you have yourself a lovely loaf of bread.
Its wonderful on its own, or spread with softened butter, maybe a dab of honey, or lightly toasted and buttered . . .
However you might choose to enjoy this bread, one fact is positively true and that is that you are going to ENJOY it!
Both in the preparation of it, and in the eating of it.
You can't go wrong! This is a winner/winner on all levels!
Some other great bread recipes are:
MILK BREAD - This is one very delicious loaf of bread. So tasty I once baked it twice in one week and there is only me in the house to eat it!
OATMEAL BATTER BREAD -This amazingly tasty bread needs only one rising and bakes up beautifully light. Its also incredibly low in fat
Yield: 16
*Easy No-Knead Rye Bread*
prep time: 1 hourcook time: 45 minstotal time: 1 hours and 45 mins
This is simple and easy, just as it says. The fact that it is also delicious makes it a winner/winner!
ingredients:
2 1/4 tsp quick rise yeast
175ml very warm milk (3/4 cup)
2 - 3 TBS liquid honey
(It all depends on your personal preference of sweetness)
2 TBS sunflower oil
1 large free range egg
1 tsp salt
280g strong plain flour (2 cups)
70g each strong whole wheat and dark rye flours
125g plain yogurt (1/2 cup)
2 TBS sunflower seeds
instructions:
Butter an 8" by 4 1/2" bread tin and line it with baking parchment. Set aside.
Measure
the yeast, warm milk and honey into a bowl. Let sit for 5 to 7
minutes. Add the oil, egg, 140g (1 cup) of the white flour. and 70g each (/2 cup each) of the
strong whole wheat and dark rye flours. Beat on low with an electric
whisk to blend. Increase speed to high and beat for one minute. Scrape
bowl and beat for a further minute. Add the remaining flour (140g/1 cup)and the
yogurt. Beat until well combined. Spoon into the prepared bread tin.
Cover with greased paper or plastic cling film. Set in a warm place to
rise until the dough reaches the edge of the pan, about 40 to 50
minutes.
the yeast, warm milk and honey into a bowl. Let sit for 5 to 7
minutes. Add the oil, egg, 140g (1 cup) of the white flour. and 70g each (/2 cup each) of the
strong whole wheat and dark rye flours. Beat on low with an electric
whisk to blend. Increase speed to high and beat for one minute. Scrape
bowl and beat for a further minute. Add the remaining flour (140g/1 cup)and the
yogurt. Beat until well combined. Spoon into the prepared bread tin.
Cover with greased paper or plastic cling film. Set in a warm place to
rise until the dough reaches the edge of the pan, about 40 to 50
minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas
mark 5. Bake the bread in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes,
until golden brown, well risen and the bread sounds hollow on the
underside when thumped. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a wire
rack.
mark 5. Bake the bread in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes,
until golden brown, well risen and the bread sounds hollow on the
underside when thumped. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a wire
rack.
Note - You can use all whole wheat instead of a mix of whole wheat and rye flours.
Created using The Recipes Generator
So . . . what are you waiting for??? Get baking! (And I thought I was lousy at baking bread. I'm quite proud of this!) Happy weekend and Bon Appetit!
Note - I have adapted this recipe from a recipe I found in one of the magazine inserts for Robin Hood Flour from 2007, 25th Anniversary Baking Event, Baking is Back. The original recipe used Nutri Flour Blend, which is not available here in the UK. I adapted it to use a combination of three wholesome flours, which worked very well in its place.
As a Canadian, I love the flavour of Maple. Maple Syrup used to be really difficult to find when I first moved over here to the UK. I brought a 4 litre tin of it over with me when I moved over.
Brought it right on the air plane. (Try and do that now!) This was pre 9/11 of course. Thankfully Maple Syrup is readily available now in the UK. It can be a bit on the expensive side, but I have always felt that it is worth it for special things like pancakes and lovely cakes like this one I am sharing today!
My late BIL Bruce used to make what he called "Oopsie Cake." My kids loved it when we would visit him and he had baked an Oopsie Cake. Oopsie Cake was a Maple Chiffon Cake, that had a 7 Minute Maple Frosting. Gorgeous it was.
It got the name Oopsie Cake because whenever he had baked one, he would ask them if they wanted a piece, and get them to hold up their plate to have one. He always made sure when he put the cake on their plates that he got some of the sticky icing on their hands and he would say, "Oopsie!" Hence . . . Oopsie Cake.
Sadly Bruce is no longer with us and I never did get the recipe. But we have sweet memories, which is nice.
This is not Oopsie Cake. This is not a Chiffon Cake. Instead it is a Maple flavoured snacking cake with a lovely Maple Sugar Frosting.
Its a dense cake, not light and fluffy . . . a bit stodgy, but in a very delicious way. I love a moist cake with a dense crumb, don't you?
My father always loved Maple.
His favourite ice cream flavour has always been Maple Walnut, and, in honor of him, every time I make this cake, I sprinkle toasted walnuts on the top.
It is rich and delicious . . . beautiful with a cold glass of milk or if you are so inclined a hot drink.
This makes a great after school snack . . . or for break times, etc.
The icing is really lovely also. Its the same icing that I use on my Spanish Cake (which is another doozie of a cake!)
Its very like a fudge icing.
Make sure you sift the icing sugar when you use it, or you will get lumps. Its not a problem if you do get lumps as you can put it through a sieve, but it can be a bit of a hassle to have to do that.
If you only bake one cake this weekend, I can't recommend this highly enough. Its a real winner/winner!
Yield: 16
Maple Cake
prep time: 15 minscook time: 50 minstotal time: 65 mins
A deliciously moist and flavourful snacking cake that the whole family will love!
ingredients:
350g plain flour (2 1/2 cups)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
240g butter, at room temperature (1 cup)
180ml pure maple syrup (3/4 cup)
100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
2 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
8 ounces plain Greek yogurt
For the icing:
For the icing:
60g butter (1/4 cup)
80g of maple sugar (1/2 cup, can use 1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar)
2 TBS milk
130g of icing sugar (1 cup)instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square pan and line with baking paper. Set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together. into a bowl. Set aside.
Beat
the butter, sugar and maple syrup together until light and fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla paste. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture alternately
with the yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Spread into the
prepared pan, evening everything out.
the butter, sugar and maple syrup together until light and fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla paste. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture alternately
with the yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Spread into the
prepared pan, evening everything out.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Place the butter for the icing in a saucepan and
melt. Add the maple sugar and heat gently over low heat for 2 minutes,
until the sugar has melted. Add the milk. Bring to the boil, then
remove from the stove and let cool. Beat in the icing sugar and spread
onto the cooled cake.
Created using The Recipes Generator
Have you been watching the GBBO? I have been glued. This past week was pudding week. Those show stopper puddings were fantabulous, with chocolate spheres holding a layer cake inside, with a hot sauce poured over top to melt the chocolate sphere and expose the cake. I mean, wowsa . . . what a challenge. I'm glad it wasn't me! Happy weekend 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.
She
didn't do anything really special to them . . . she just basically
scooped the insides out and mashed them with butter and milk, a bit of
seasoning and then refilled the skins and baked them for a bit longer
until the surface of the mash got a bit crispy.
She might have added a bit of minced onion from time to time, but that is as fancy as she got. She liked to keep things really simple.
We thought they were a real treat. She could never make enough of them for us . . . kinda like her butter fried potatoes. We gobbled them up!
I used to do the same thing for my own kiddies, except I got a tiny bit fancier and used some sour cream, butter, and chopped spring onions . . .
and then gradually through the years I added other bits and bobs as I was inspired . . .
Chopped bacon or ham, cheddar cheese, sometimes creamed cheese, garlic . . .
Not all together mind . . . just a bit of this and a bit of that. I think my children's favourites were when I did them with sour cream, cheese, chives and bacon.
I'll let you in on a little secret, they were my favourites also!
I had some leek which needed using up the other day and decided to saute it in some butter and use it to stuff some baked potatoes . . .
Along with a little bit of a four cheese blend. Mine had Cheddar, Jack, Red Leicester and Gouda in it.
I scooped the potato insides out and mixed them with some seasoning, the cooked leeks and the cheese and stuffed them back in.
Do leave a thin layer of potato in the skins when you are scooping the potato out. It makes for more stability in the finished product.
Don't pack the filling in too tightly either when you are refilling the skins. You want it a bit loose and craggy looking.
This makes for lots of lovely crispy edges, which we love.
I like to sprinkle a bit more cheese on top before I pop them back into the oven.
You don't need a lot really, just a couple teaspoons on top of each. Or not, as you wish. We like the extra cheese.
You don't really have to bake them for long after you have re-stuffed them.
You are basically only reheating already cooked stuff . . . and making sure the cheese melts.
And of course you want some crispy bits. They are the best!
If the potato is your favorite vegetable like mine is, you might enjoy the following!
CHICKEN & PANCETTA STUFFED JACKET POTATOES - I like to use up all of my leftovers. I just hate waste and in today's economic climate, it just makes sense to use up all that we have. Good use of leftovers makes good food budget economy, and I am all for that!A great use of leftovers with cooked chicken, diced pancetta, some spinach and a delicious creamy cheesy sauce, spooned over a baked jacket potato. A tasty bit of this and a tasty bit of that!
CHEESE & BROCCOLI STUFFED JACKET POTATOES - Really tasty stuffed twice baked potatoes, containing crispy tender bits of broccoli and a tasty strong cheddar.
These are a fabulous way of getting in some of your five a day and really tasty way to get your broccoli haters to eat broccoli!
Yield: 4
Twice Baked Potatoes with Leeks & Cheese
prep time: 5 minscook time: 2 hourtotal time: 2 hours and 5 mins
These are the perfect light lunch or a delicious side for with your supper.
ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes
2 medium sized leeks
1 1/2 TBS butter
salt and black pepper to taste
124g grated four cheese blend, plus a bit more for sprinkling (1 generous cup)
instructions:
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Scrub
the potatoes clean and prick with a fork. Place into the oven directly
onto the oven rack. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes give
a bit when gently squeezed. Remove and set aside to cool while you
cook the leeks. Keep the oven on.
the potatoes clean and prick with a fork. Place into the oven directly
onto the oven rack. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes give
a bit when gently squeezed. Remove and set aside to cool while you
cook the leeks. Keep the oven on.
Trim the
dark green parts from the leeks and discard, or save to use in making
stocks. Cut the remaining stalk in half lengthwise and rinse well in
cold water to remove any grit or dirt. Slice thinly. Melt the butter
in a large skillet. Add the leeks and saute gently for about 5 minutes
until softened. Set aside.
dark green parts from the leeks and discard, or save to use in making
stocks. Cut the remaining stalk in half lengthwise and rinse well in
cold water to remove any grit or dirt. Slice thinly. Melt the butter
in a large skillet. Add the leeks and saute gently for about 5 minutes
until softened. Set aside.
Cut the potatoes
in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the flesh into a bowl, leaving a
thin shell. (I find a teaspoon works beautifully for this.) Mash
together with the softened leeks and some salt and black pepper to
taste. Stir in the cheese. Mix well together. Place the potato halves
on a baking sheet and then stuff lightly with the potato/leek/cheese
mixture. Try not to compact it. Leave it loose, you get more crunchy
bits that way. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese. A pinch works well
for each.
in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the flesh into a bowl, leaving a
thin shell. (I find a teaspoon works beautifully for this.) Mash
together with the softened leeks and some salt and black pepper to
taste. Stir in the cheese. Mix well together. Place the potato halves
on a baking sheet and then stuff lightly with the potato/leek/cheese
mixture. Try not to compact it. Leave it loose, you get more crunchy
bits that way. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese. A pinch works well
for each.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I can't think of anything these wouldn't go with. I love them even on their own with nothing else! Its a simple thing really . . . twice baked potatoes. Its really true that the simple things in life are the best things! Bon Appetit!
I think I am probably a combination of a really cheap date and a pain in the arse when it comes to dining out.
I either always opt for the fish and chips (providing I know the providence of the fish and exactly what kind of fish it is.), or I go for the chicken strips. (Again, only if I know that they are totally made from actual strips of chicken breast, not chewed up chicken reconstituted into whole strips.)
I know. Picky me. I have had far too many poorly cooked steaks to want to risk good money chasing after one of those.
More and more however, I am finding that if I really want a delicious meal that is affordable, I will stick to home. You just can't beat good home-cooking.
And I can't afford to eat in fancy restaurants that give you good, cooked from scratch food.
Truth be told, most restaurants today bring in their food frozen and all they are doing is re-heating it.
I can do that at home, thank you very much, and at a fraction of the cost!
These chicken strips I am sharing today are really, really good. Nicely flavoured and spiced and made from real whole chicken breast which has been sliced into strips.
Its always a bit of a faff when you are breading things. There is no getting around it, but I find that if I do it in steps, then things run rather smoothly.
Usually I will cut and bread the chicken earlier in the day, laying it on a plate and putting it in the refrigerator to chill until I am ready to cook it.
This saves me from being rushed at the last minute, at the end of the day, when I am usually really tired.
It also means that the breading has had a nice long time to set up and so it really sticks to the chicken when I go to fry it. Win/win in my books, but you do whatever you find easiest!
On this particular day I decided to whisk together mustard and honey for a dipping sauce. I love honey mustard, and this turned out really nice.
I used French's American style mustard and plain old liquid clover honey.
It was just runny enough to make a lovely dip, and yet not too runny if you know what I mean.
If you want a milder mustard flavour, and a less runny dip, you can whisk in either some mayonnaise or some sour cream, or both.
We were happy with it just as it was. Todd always says that American mustard isn't really mustard. He likes British mustard, which is really, really hot, not mild like American style.
Funny story. When we were first married, I used to make him a bag lunch to take to work each day. I would often put mustard on his ham sandwiches if that was the kind of sandwich I was making, and I used to really smear the mustard onto them, like I would have done back home.
He was so polite, he never said a word. It wasn't until I did it for myself one day that I realised just hot hot it was! Poor Todd. He must have had his head blown off every time!
In any case, this is a really lovely dip for the chicken. Not too spicy and with a tangy sweetness.
It goes really well with the peppery bite of the chicken. YUMMY! We love these.
Yield: 4
Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard Dip
prep time: 25 minscook time: 25 minstotal time: 50 mins
Spicy chicken strips served with a delicious honey mustard dipping sauce.
ingredients:
For the chicken:
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts1 cup plain flour
1 tsp sea salt, rubbed in your fingers until fine
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large free range eggs
1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs (if you can't find these, use plain dry
bread crumbs to which you have added some garlic powder, dried parsley
flakes, dried basil and dried oregano)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese
unsalted butter
good olive oil
For the sauce:
60ml prepared mustard (1/4 cup)
(I used French's American style mustard)
3 TBS liquid honey
instructions:
Put the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cut through each, diagonally, into four or five large strips.
Take three shallow bowls. In the first one combine the flour, salt and
pepper. In the second one beat the eggs together with 1 TBS water. In
the third one combine the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Take
your chicken pieces and, working with one at a time, dredge them into
the flour mixture, then into the beaten egg and then finally roll them
in the breadcrumb mixture to coat. Place them on a plate without
touching until they are all coated. (Your fingers will get all clumped
up with doughy squidge, but that’s OK. Fingers are easily cleaned off!)
Let them sit for about 15 minutes.
Heat 1 TBS of butter along with 1 TBS of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When the butter is foaming, turn the heat down to medium low, and cook the chicken
strips in the hot fat for about 3 minutes on each side, just until they
are cooked through. Don’t crowd the pan or they will steam instead of
fry. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest. Serve warm with the
dipping sauce.
While the chicken strips are cooking, whisk together the mustard and liquid honey for the dip.
Easy Peasy.
Take three shallow bowls. In the first one combine the flour, salt and
pepper. In the second one beat the eggs together with 1 TBS water. In
the third one combine the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Take
your chicken pieces and, working with one at a time, dredge them into
the flour mixture, then into the beaten egg and then finally roll them
in the breadcrumb mixture to coat. Place them on a plate without
touching until they are all coated. (Your fingers will get all clumped
up with doughy squidge, but that’s OK. Fingers are easily cleaned off!)
Let them sit for about 15 minutes.
Heat 1 TBS of butter along with 1 TBS of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When the butter is foaming, turn the heat down to medium low, and cook the chicken
strips in the hot fat for about 3 minutes on each side, just until they
are cooked through. Don’t crowd the pan or they will steam instead of
fry. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest. Serve warm with the
dipping sauce.
Easy Peasy.
Created using The Recipes Generator
These are great for game nights when you are watching the football, hockey or rugby, or when your teens are entertaining their friends, and to be honest, they are great for supper, served with your favourite sides. We had homemade sweet potato wedges and peas. Yummy!
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!
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Welcome, I'm Marie
Canadian lover of all things British. I cook every day and like to share it with you!
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