This is an old, old recipe copied into my Big Blue Binder from an old community cookbook from back home in Nova Scotia. I don't know who it is accredited to originally, only that it is a delicious way to prepare cabbage.
It uses fairly simple ingredients that most people have in their homes, with the exception of the Garam Masala, but I am fairly certain that if you don't have the Garam Masala in your home, you would have at least the ingredients to make your own. Garam Masala is deliciously aromatic mix of spices used to bring flavour and warmth to many Indian dishes, so no worries about making it as if you are a person who loves curries, you are sure to use it up. I have included below the recipe and instructions to make your own. The spices themselves smell heavenly when they are toasting. Its a very simple make.
Garam Masala
prep time: 3 minscook time: 3 minstotal time: 6 mins
An Indian Spice mix for use in East Indian cookery.
ingredients:
2 TBS coriander seed
1 TBS cumin seed
2 tsp black peppercorn
1/2 cinnamon stick (or 2 tsp ground cinnamon)
1/2 tsp cardamon seeds (from about 20 cardamom pods)
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp whole cloves
2 dried bay leaves
instructions:
Toasting the seeds is the secret to a well flavoured Garam Masala. Don't
be tempted to skip this step. Toast the whole spices in a dry frying
pan until they are very fragrant and a shade or two darker. Tip into a
spice grinder and grind to a powder. Alternately you can use a pestle
and mortar. (Labour intensive but it works) Store in an airtight
container in a dark place for up to six months.
be tempted to skip this step. Toast the whole spices in a dry frying
pan until they are very fragrant and a shade or two darker. Tip into a
spice grinder and grind to a powder. Alternately you can use a pestle
and mortar. (Labour intensive but it works) Store in an airtight
container in a dark place for up to six months.
Created using The Recipes Generator
So is this dish. The hardest and most labour intensive part is the shredding of the cabbage. I like to use white cabbage for this as it lends itself beautifully to the long cook time and I prefer the melting, almost buttery texture of it when it is done.
You can use whatever cabbage you prefer however I cannot speak for the results as I have only ever used hard white cabbage, which I believe is one of the most common ones in the shops and readily available everywhere.
It makes a great Indian side dish when you are cooking an Indian meal. You can make it ahead of time and just heat it up at the last minute. Leftovers are lovely stirred through cooked rice and reheated. (Just saying.)
I have found it to also be a very popular dish at a covered dish or pot luck supper. Amazingly (or maybe not amazingly) everyone seems to love it.
I am not sure how authentically Indian it is, probably not very, but that doesn't really matter as it is fabulously tasty!
It is also delicious mixed into leftover fried potatoes. (Again just saying.)
Yield: 4 - 6
Indian Spiced Cabbage
prep time: 10 minscook time: 2 hourtotal time: 2 hours and 10 mins
A deliciously spiced side dish with East Indian flavours. I could eat a whole bowlful of this and nothing else.
ingredients:
1 medium head green cabbage, shredded finely
1/3 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp mild chili powder
2 tsp garam masala (store bought or make your own, preferable)
2 tsp black pepper
sunflower oil
instructions:
In a large pot,heat oil to cover the bottom (1/4
inch deep) until it begins to shimmer. Add the cumin seeds and cook for
about 30 seconds until it begins to pop and smell fragrant. Add the
remaining spices, seasonings and the cabbage, tossing to coat the
cabbage in the spice/oil mixture. Cover and cook gently, over very low
heat, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the cabbage is meltingly tender. Serve
hot.
inch deep) until it begins to shimmer. Add the cumin seeds and cook for
about 30 seconds until it begins to pop and smell fragrant. Add the
remaining spices, seasonings and the cabbage, tossing to coat the
cabbage in the spice/oil mixture. Cover and cook gently, over very low
heat, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the cabbage is meltingly tender. Serve
hot.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I cooked only half a recipe today and found myself wondering why I had not cooked the whole cabbage, its just so very, very good. I hope you will try it and enjoy it as much as we do! Bon Appetit!
I still use the cream soup . . . but the addition of Worcestershire
Sauce, Mushroom ketchup, tomato ketchup really enhances the flavours of
this lovely stand by. It is very like a cottage pie . . . but with a tater
tot covering instead of mash. Of course if you are a tinned soup snob you can make a basic cream sauce in its place.
This is a real family pleasing meal. It's hearty and filling and so
very tasty. I like to make a salad to serve on the side and green
beans. The other night I added some garlic bread as it was a company
meal.
Yield: 6
Cowboy Casserole
prep time: 30 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 75 mins
This may not look very tasty, but trust me when I say it's delicious. I like to make the meat mixture the day before and let it ripen overnight. I think it's even more delicious when you do this.
ingredients:
500g of extra lean ground beef (2 1/2 pounds)
olive oil spray
a knob of butter
1 large leek, split, washed and thinly sliced
1 small onion, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (or 3 tsp of Gourmet Garden crushed garlic)
1 tsp mixed dried herbs (thyme, summer savoury, marjoram)
2 dessert spoonful's of tomato ketchup
a good splash of Worcestershire sauce
a good splash of mushroom ketchup
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (340g) tin of sweet corn, drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tin of condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
125ml of whole milk (1/2 cup)
4 heaped TBS sour cream
8 ounces strong cheddar cheese, divided (2 cups)
1 1/2 bags of frozen potato nuggets (tater tots)
olive oil spray
a knob of butter
1 large leek, split, washed and thinly sliced
1 small onion, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (or 3 tsp of Gourmet Garden crushed garlic)
1 tsp mixed dried herbs (thyme, summer savoury, marjoram)
2 dessert spoonful's of tomato ketchup
a good splash of Worcestershire sauce
a good splash of mushroom ketchup
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (340g) tin of sweet corn, drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tin of condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
125ml of whole milk (1/2 cup)
4 heaped TBS sour cream
8 ounces strong cheddar cheese, divided (2 cups)
1 1/2 bags of frozen potato nuggets (tater tots)
instructions:
Spray a large and deep nonstick pan with some cooking spray. Add the
beef
and scramble fry, cooking until it is no longer pink and any liquid is
totally evaporated. Add the knob of butter and continue to cook, until
it begins to turn golden brown in places. Add the leek, onion, garlic,
and herbs. Cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are
wilted. Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mushroom ketchup,
corn, soup, milk, sour cream and 1/2 of the grated cheese. Heat
through. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary with salt and pepper.
Allow to simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not let
it dry out. You want it slightly loose. (If you are making it a day
ahead, pour it into a plastic container at this point, cover and
refrigerate. The next day spread it into a 9inch by 13 inch glass
baking dish which you have buttered and allow to come to room
temperature before proceeding.)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Scatter
the frozen potato nuggets over top of the meat mixture. Cover tightly
with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the
remaining cheddar cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 20
minutes longer until golden brown and the meat mixture is bubbling
nicely. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before
serving. Serve hot. I like to serve this with some salad and green
beans.
beef
and scramble fry, cooking until it is no longer pink and any liquid is
totally evaporated. Add the knob of butter and continue to cook, until
it begins to turn golden brown in places. Add the leek, onion, garlic,
and herbs. Cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are
wilted. Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mushroom ketchup,
corn, soup, milk, sour cream and 1/2 of the grated cheese. Heat
through. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary with salt and pepper.
Allow to simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not let
it dry out. You want it slightly loose. (If you are making it a day
ahead, pour it into a plastic container at this point, cover and
refrigerate. The next day spread it into a 9inch by 13 inch glass
baking dish which you have buttered and allow to come to room
temperature before proceeding.)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Scatter
the frozen potato nuggets over top of the meat mixture. Cover tightly
with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the
remaining cheddar cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 20
minutes longer until golden brown and the meat mixture is bubbling
nicely. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before
serving. Serve hot. I like to serve this with some salad and green
beans.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I will be back tomorrow with something fresh and exciting. In the meantime have a great day and Bon Appetit!
The recipe I am sharing today can be as naughty or as nice as you choose to make it. Dirty Fries. Oven baked chips dressed up with some of your favourite toppings.
And trust me when I tell you that there is no such thing as "over the top" as far as toppings go. The sky is really the limit here.
I use frozen oven chips. You can choose either full fat or lower fat ones or make fries at home. I prefer the ones with some skin on them, as I like the extra fibre and flavour that the skin adds. I find them to be incredibly moreish!
These get tossed with a Cajun Spice mix and some Worcestershire sauce. You might think that both of those things add too much heat, and yes there is heat there, but it is never too much. Its a part of what makes these so special.
I make my own Cajun Spice mixes. I like making my own herb and spice blends. I know exactly what is in them and I think they taste really good. I keep them stored in little covered pots in one of my kitchen cupboards.
Making your own Cajun Spice is incredibly easy. How to Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning:
Mix together 2 1/2 TBS of salt, 1 TBS dried oregano leaves (Rub to a
powder using your fingertips), 1 TBS sweet paprika, 1 TBS cayenne
pepper, and 1 TBS ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container
out of the light for up to six months.
Once you've seasoned your fries you spread them out on a baking sheet and bake them according to the package directions. You might think that adding Worcestershire sauce would make them soggy, but it truly doesn't.
What it does do it add an incredible amount of flavour. Worcestershire sauce has flavour qualities that you just don't find in anything else, except perhaps Mushroom Ketchup which, although very similar, is very difficult to find.
While they are baking, I like to cook my bacon and get the other bits ready. Actually you can have your bacon cooking in the oven while you cook the chips. Just bang it onto a baking sheet and bake it until you have it as crisp as you like.
My husband doesn't like his bacon too crispy, and I don't like it too wimpy, so I always try to do it somewhere in a middle. Keep an eye on it because it can go from perfect to over done in a seeming flash of an instant!!!
Grate your cheese and chop up your vegetables. I like to use a combination of bell peppers and spring onions.
I also try to keep the pieces very much on the small size. A quarter-inch dice does the trick very nicely. It is very easy to do. Cut them into quarter inch slices one way and then again the other way.
Once the chips are done take them out of the oven and pile them into a baking dish. You don't want them to be too deep in the dish, but you also want them to have some depth.
Put it this way the larger dish you have to put them in the better. You end up with a much larger surface area to scatter your toppings on.
It's really nice to have them spread out and the toppings spread out. It makes for a much better finish in my opinion.
Scatter the cheese on top . . . . I have a confession to make. I probably add more cheese than the recipe calls for. I guestimate it for the most part.
Sprinkle on the bacon bits . . . Is there every such a thing as too much bacon bits or cheese? I think not!
I am from the school of "Bacon makes everything taste better." And you can add cheese to that as well. Both get my taste buds tingling.
Scatter on the peppers and pop them back into the oven just long enough to melt the cheese and heat things through.
You want the peppers to maintain a bit of their crunch. This is a large part of their appeal. Add to that the flavour and the colour and you have a winning combination!
And that's it. They are done. You can use low fat cheese if you want, and bacon medallions (Canadian bacon) to cut down on any fat and calories as well.
It's probably not something you should eat often, but once in a while, everyone deserves a bit of a treat, and this is one very delicious way to go.
These make a great side dish for a weeknight supper, or snack to share on game nights. They are incredibly tasty when served with a dip.
Ranch dressing goes very well! I also have a great fondness for blue cheese dressing. Just saying is all! Try it, you may really like it!
Yield: 4
Dirty Fries
prep time: 10 minscook time: 25 minstotal time: 35 mins
These can be as naughty or as healthy as you choose them to be. They are delicious either way. Serve as a side dish or a snack on game nights.
ingredients:
1 (4 serving size) bag of frozen french fries
(To save on fat and calories, use the less than 5% fat ones)
2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to your taste)
(I make my own, see recipe in side bar)
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
4 spring onions thinly sliced
1/2 each red and yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
8 slices of streaky bacon, cooked and then crumbled
(for lower fat use bacon medallions)
80g grated cheese (2/3 cup)
(You can use low fat if you wish)
instructions:
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray
with some foil and spray with low fat cooking spray. Toss the frozen
chips with the Cajun seasoning and the Worcestershire sauce. Spread
them out on the baking sheet. Bake for of the baking time according to
the package directions. Remove from the oven.
with some foil and spray with low fat cooking spray. Toss the frozen
chips with the Cajun seasoning and the Worcestershire sauce. Spread
them out on the baking sheet. Bake for of the baking time according to
the package directions. Remove from the oven.
Spray a large baking dish, or iron skillet with some low fat cooking spray.
Pile the baked chips into the dish. Sprinkle with the grated cheese,
then the chopped peppers, spring onions and bacon bits. Return to the
oven briefly to melt the cheese and warm things up.
Pile the baked chips into the dish. Sprinkle with the grated cheese,
then the chopped peppers, spring onions and bacon bits. Return to the
oven briefly to melt the cheese and warm things up.
Serve immediately.
I don't like things overly spicy so I err on the side of caution when
it comes to using Cajun spice People can always add more at the table
it they want to blow their socks off! Ranch dressing is also nice with
these for dipping.
Simple and quick to make and oh-so-delicious. Your family is sure to love these! 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: theenglishkitchen@mail.com
Thank you so much for visiting! Do come again!
I love this time of year, Harvest Time . . . when we are finished with all of the summer food and digging into Autumn goodies. Delicious things made using root vegetables and orchard fruits. Delicious things like these Apple Jack Cookies I am sharing with you today!
Apple Jack is a type of cider that was popular during the American Colonial age. The only thing these cookies have in common with them is the name and apples. There is no cider in these cookies!
Think of your favourite chocolate chip cookie . . . crisp edged . . . buttery and chewy almost caramel like in the centres . . .
Now take away the chocolate chips and replace them with bits of sweet eating apple . . .
My Cookie Jar approves of these! Don't you just love this cookie jar. Its an old McCoy cookie jar from the 1940's. I bought it at a yard sale many moons ago. I also had a Cowboy pig one, but he broke when I moved him over here to the UK. She's not worth anything to anyone but me. She holds a bazillion cookie recipes from whoever had her in the beginning on up to myself . . . and all the many dozens of cookies I stored in her when I had a large family to bake for. She is the epitome of a mother's love for her children, so I guess that makes her pretty priceless to me!
Anyways, back to the cookies. They are a simple brown sugar butter cookie . . . the brown sugar makes them chewy, almost brownie-like . . . the butter gives them lovely crisp edges.
The brown sugar also gives them an almost caramel-flavour which goes really well with the apple chunks. I was sorely tempted to add some raisins and chopped walnuts to these, but I thought would be a purist this time and just have apples in them.
But you could certainly add the other things if you wanted to. They could be a kind of a jumble cookie with those additions. You could call them Apple Jumbles.
There is a hint of spice in these . . . nutmeg. I always freshly grate my nutmeg. I use my fine micro plane grater to do that. Works a charm.
I adore nutmeg, don't you? It has a flavour that goes very well with anything autumn . . .
With apples and sweet potatoes and pumpkins . . . and carrots. I always add a touch of freshly grated nutmeg to my steamed carrots along with a knob of butter, a pinch of sugar and a bit of salt and pepper. Everyone always loves my carrots when I serve them. Nutmeg is my secret.
Or should I say was my secret, now that I have shared it with all of you . . . and I really hope you try it.
Just like I hope you will bake these lovely pig approved cookies . . . they are truly delicious!
So delicious in fact that you might actually make a pig of yourself eating them! Bet you can't eat just one!!!
Yield: Approximately 2 dozen
Apple Jack Cookies
prep time: 10 minscook time: 10 minstotal time: 20 mins
Think of your favourite chocolate chip cookie, chewy and slightly caramel like, but stuffed with chunks of apple instead of chocolate chips. Moreish!
ingredients:
200g soft light brown sugar (1 cup)
110g white vegetable shortening (1/2 cup)
1 large free range egg
210g plain flour (1 1/2 cup)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 medium eating apple, chopped
instructions:
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Line several baking sheets with non stick baking paper. Set aside.
Cream
together the brown sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Beat
in the egg. Stir in the nutmeg, salt and soda, until well combined.
Stir in the flour until well combined. Stir in the apple pieces. Roll
into 1 inch balls and then place onto the baking sheets, leaving 2
inches in between each.
together the brown sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Beat
in the egg. Stir in the nutmeg, salt and soda, until well combined.
Stir in the flour until well combined. Stir in the apple pieces. Roll
into 1 inch balls and then place onto the baking sheets, leaving 2
inches in between each.
minutes until light brown. Leave on baking sheet for several minutes
before scooping off onto a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a
loosely covered container.
I got the recipe for these cookies from the same supermarket booklet that I got the cake from yesterday. They seemed very Autumnal and Thanksgiving-ee to me. I hope they will appeal to you as well! Bon Appetite and Happy Autumn!
Note - for the crispness these are best eaten on the day, however a day later they settle into a very moreish fudginess, probably due to the apple bits.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons