I was cooking some chicken the other day and wanted a side dish to serve with it, but I wanted something that would be a tiny bit different than what I usually make.
I didn't want mash, or chips, or even roasties . . . but I did want potatoes.
I thought that these Oven Roasted Garlic Potatoes might be nice, but I was also thinking of Greek Roasted Potatoes, which are lovely and lemony and deliciously Herby.
I kind of didn't want garlic with the chicken however and I didn't have any lemons . . . so I decided to make my own version of an oven roasted potato . . .
Tender on the insides, and almost creamy . . . but well flavoured and somewhat crisp on the outsides . . .
I used vegetable stock and Dijon mustard . . . in retrospect, I might have added a bit of olive oil or butter, but I didn't.
They would have browned a bit better with some fat in the mix. Never mind however, these were still bodaciously delicious!
The Dijon mustard added a beautiful depth of flavour to them, without overpowering the integrity of the flavour of the potatoes . . .
I used parsley, but you certainly could use some thyme or marjoram, or even oregano or sage. I wanted to keep it simple.
I use Knorr vegetable stock gel pots. I use their gel pots for all of my stock needs. They are really good.
These came out perfect, knife tender, and yet holding together, having absorbed most of the stock . . .
They were beautifully flavoured and went very well with our chicken!
Yield: 4
Oven Braised Potatoes
prep time: 10 minscook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 hours and 10 mins
Quite simply delicious. You can pop these in the oven while you are cooking whatever else you are cooking as your main. The perfect side which cooks itself.
ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
240ml vegetable stock
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried parsley
instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a shallow baking dish with sides.
Whisk together the vegetable stock, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried parsley.
the potatoes, cut side down in the baking dish in a single layer. Pour
the stock mixture over and around the potatoes. Cover tightly with
foil and then place into the pre-heated oven. Cook for about an hour
until the potatoes are knife tender, uncovering and basting in the last
10 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Serve hot.
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These would go with just about anything . . . meat, fish, poultry . . . other vegetables. I hope you will try them and enjoy them as much as we did. Oh, and if you have leftovers, just pop them in the refrigerator. They are great fried up in butter with some onions the day after! (Just saying!) Bon Appetit!
Some other potato recipes you might enjoy are:
Old Mother Rayner went to the cupboard to bake her poor hubby a pie.
When she got there the cupboard was bare, except for a couple of apples, some cornflakes, some butter and a bit of brown sugar and spice and so she did what was the next best thing. Poor Man's Apple Pie.
Not really, I just made that up, but when I came across this old, old recipe that is immediately what came to mind . . .
the wonderful thing that happens when opportunity, need and provenance meet together in a delicious way to create something the family will enjoy eating together.
This is what it looks like before you put it into the oven. Its not really a pie, but layers of thinly sliced apple, with a sprinkling of brown sugar, baking spices and cornflakes.
Oh, and butter. You dot each layer of cornflakes with some butter.
This is what it looks like when it comes out of the oven . . . the apples cook and get soft and almost melt down . . .
The butter and the brown sugar and the spice melt together, with the inner layer of cornflakes thickening up the juices . . .
The Top layer of cornflakes getting crisp and golden brown . . . and yes, slightly sweet and buttery, and lightly spiced . . .
Todd enjoyed his warm, out of the oven . . . with lashings of evaporated milk poured over top as I had no cream . . .
and during the war, when he was growing up, evaporated milk was the only cream-like thing they had to enjoy with their desserts . . . he likes evaporated milk. (Me, not so much. I am spoilt.)
For myself, I would enjoy this with ice cream. A nice ball of good vanilla ice cream.
I did not have more than a little taste of this however, just so I could tell you how good it was.
And it is good, very good . . .
Tart and sweet . . . lightly spiced . . . buttery and crunchy . . .
In short, pretty perfect!
I am really pleased that I took the opportunity to bake this. It sounded interesting and it sounded tasty, and it was very tasty. Very tasty indeed.
I don't think it will ever replace apple pie in the scheme of things, but it did make for a highly enjoyable dessert according to Todd.
Yield: 4-6
Poor Man's Apple Pie
prep time: 15 minscook time: 30 minstotal time: 45 mins
I strongly suspect this old, old recipe was born out of need. Layers of sliced apple cornflakes, brown sugar and butter. What can ever be wrong with that!
ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds eating apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
corn flakes
soft light brown sugar
a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
butter to dot
Pouring cream to serveinstructions:
ready a medium sized deep baking dish. Butter the dish. Start layering
in as follows: Sliced apple, cornflakes, a dessertspoon of soft light
brown sugar sprinkled over all, some cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and
dotted butter. Repeat until all your apples are used up and ending with
cornflakes, sugar, seasoning and butter. Bake in the preheated oven
for 25 to 30 minutes until the apples are soft. Spoon out into bowls and
serve with some pouring cream.
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Quick, easy, simple and delicious. This ticks all the boxes. Bon Appetit!
Oh by the way, what did you think of the Bake Off? I was thrilled with the results. I called it from the very beginning. I did think that the technical challenge was a really nasty one. Baking Pita Breads and three dips with no work stand and only an open fire.
I told my husband as I was watching it, "And that is why I would never go on GBBO!" In the heat, with the sun beating down on them. I was not at all surprised that everyone's ended up being rubbish! It was a no win challenge!
I can't think of a better way to start your day, or to enjoy a break be it elevenses or lunch time than in the indulgence of a nutritionally sound and delicious smoothie. They are a fabulous way to get in some of your five a day, and I'll be honest here . . . I really enjoy them. They are a lot healthier than a frozen mocha, and . . . lets face it, perfectly portable if need be. Vitamin packed, smooth and delicious you feel like you are indulging in a milkshake, but in reality, you are packing a lot of nutritional punch into a most enjoyable drink! No empty calories here!
You can make a smoothie with just about anything fresh (or frozen) in your kitchen that is edible. I like the addition of something frozen myself, because I love the texture that frozen fruit lends to the end result. True indulgence. That's why I keep bananas sliced and frozen in the freezer for just this purpose.
To make a good smoothie, you will want a combination of fresh and frozen edibles. Some great combinations are frozen banana and fresh tropical fruits, such as mango and pineapple. But there is really no end to the combinations you can come up with. Some of my favourite smoothies are made using fresh berries and frozen bananas.
You will want something creamy to add. Coconut milk goes great in tropical drinks, but I have also used yogurt drinks, or even regular milk. Soy milk works well, almond milk, etc. Fruit juice also works well, but I love the creaminess of the other alternatives. Be sure to add whatever liquid you are choosing to your blender first. After that you can add any solids. I roughly fill my smoothie maker about 1/2 full of the liquid I am using, and then add fruits and solids to fill no more than 2/3 of my container.
I also like to add a dollop of fresh yogurt when I can, and a bit of honey adds a lovely sweetness which is natural. Its not totally necessary however to add anything sweet. Its all a matter of taste. Some great natural sweeteners are date syrup (great with bananas and peanut butter), maple syrup, Agave syrup, etc. As a diabetic I tend to leave out sweeteners unless the fruit I am using is really sour.
Another great thing which is really nutritious to add to your smoothies are some nuts and seeds. They are filled with power and protein, which are really great additions to a healthy diet.
This is what I use. I buy it at Costco. Its packed with delicious nutrition and is great sprinkled on your breakfast oats, and yogurt also, so it is multi-purpose. You can also keep it in the freezer so that it keeps fresh longer. Just a spoonful makes a great addition to any smoothie.
Nut butters are also great additions and can help boost your protein intake. It is important for diabetics to add protein whenever they can as doing so helps your body to process complex carbs in a healthier way.
Any addition of protein also helps you to feel fuller longer, an added bonus!
Just pop what you want into your blender and blitz away to your desired consistency (1) liquid (2) any solids (3) sweetener if desired (4) seeds or nuts (optional) Myself, I prefer a smoother consistency as I have diverticulitis and whole seeds can really create problems with my digestion. You can also add frozen ice cubes if you don't have any frozen fruit. Or (and this is one of my favourite things to do) ahead of time you can freeze cubes of almond milk or coconut milk, etc. and just use a couple of them with your fresh fruit and some fruit juice. Delicious!
Some great combinations:
Mango & Banana - 1/2 mango peeled and cubed, 1/2 banana sliced, 240ml orange juice (1 cup), 1 TBS of plain yogurt, 2 ice cubes and a bit of sweetener if you desire.
Kale & Avocado - 1/2 Avocado, peeled, stoned and roughly chopped, generous handful each of baby spinach and cleaned and chopped kale, 50g (2 ounces) pineapple chunks, 4 inch piece of cucumber roughly chopped, 240ml (1 cup) coconut water.
Banana & Forrest Fruits - 1 small banana sliced, 1 small pot of Forrest fruits yogurt (low fat and sugar), a couple TBS of frozen forest fruits, 240ml (1 cup) apple juice.
Creamy Mango & Coconut - 4 TBS coconut milk yogurt, 1 small banana (sliced), 240ml (1 cup) coconut milk, 120g (4 1/2 ounces) frozen mango chunks, 1 TBS ground flax seed, sunflower and pumpkin seed.
Super Berry - 1 small pot of sugar free/fat free strawberry yogurt, 240ml milk (1 cup), 120g (4 1/2 ounces) frozen berries, 1 TBS porridge oats, 2 tsp honey
Peanut Butter and Banana - 1 small banana, peeled and sliced, 240ml (1 cup) unsweetened almond milk, 2 ice cubes, 1 heaped TBS sugar free peanut butter, 2 tsp honey (you can also add 1 tsp cocoa powder if you like the flavour of chocolate and peanut butter together)
Think Ahead
When you're at work
You might think its impossible to enjoy a delicious and fresh smoothie when you are at work, but I have found a really neat little portable blender that not only light weight, but small and very easy to carry. You can take it with you on your daily commute, or keep it at the office, ready to use. One of the neatest things about it is that you can charge it easily from your computer or your phone!
So now you really have no excuse not to eat a bit healthier, either at home or at work! I might not always have time to sit and eat something healthy, but I always have time to sip away at a deliciously nutritional drink while I am working. Hopefully in the long run it will go a long ways towards making my waistline a tad bit smaller. Watch this space!!
I grew up in a home where dishes like this were not really served very often. My mother would make Pate Chinoise for my father from time to time, which we had to eat as well. Pate Chinois is a French Canadian version of Cottage pie, using minced beef, mashed potatoes and corn or peas. My mom always used peas, and tinned ones. She also used cheap ground beef, which I did not like at all. It was full of bits of gristle. It was never my favourite meal, but my father love LOVED it! Perhaps I was just too picky.
People often confuse the two, Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie. Traditionally both were dishes invented to use up the leftover gravy and veg from the Sunday dinner. With beef being used in the Cottage Pie and Lamb in the Shepherds Pie.
Most people just use the names interchangeably for the both. I can be a bit pedantic however . . . it is one of my weaknesses . . . for Shepherds Pie I use lamb and for Cottage Pie I use beef. It can be leftover or fresh ground, though. I am not quite that picky!
Basically both are casseroles with meat and a flavourful gravy on the bottom, a layer of vegetables and a lovely thatch of mashed potato on top!
These types of meals are my Todd's favourites. In fact today he had two helpings. He normally doesn't exceed his one serving of anything, but he was really enjoying this.
I have a secret ingredient for the potato thatch. I always add a tiny bit of cheese, which really helps it to brown to a nice golden brown and adds just a touch of flavour. Sometimes I will add a bit of horseradish to either the gravy or mash for a Cottage pie, because it goes so well with beef.
I like to make a pattern in the potatoes with a fork. Today it was a basket weave. Not hard to do at all. You don't have to do that, but do try to rough them up a tiny bit so that you can get some crispy golden edges!
I also use frozen petit pois . . . not tinned or leftover cooked. And I don't thaw them out before putting it together. I just layer them on frozen. The heat from the filling and the mash will cook them perfectly. (I have a real dislike of over-cooked peas. I can't help it.)
The gravy is also very simple to make. Of course if you happen to have leftover gravy from the Sunday lunch that would also work, but it is very simple to make your own from scratch.
I start by sweating a mirepoix of fresh vegetables in some butter . . . carrot, swede, onions and celery . . . aromatics and real flavour boosters! Especially when you have sweated them in a bit of butter.
A good beef stock made from a quality beef stock cube or gel pack. I like the Knorr ones. Some Tomato puree (tomato paste in the US), or yes even ketchup will work. If you are using ketchup leave out the HP Sauce. Just use a splash or Worcestershire.
I use herbs as well . . . to be specific, Summer Savoury . . . its an Eastern Canada thing. You can use Marjoram or thyme . . .
Today I made a delicious coleslaw to go along with it. Salad is nice also. Todd likes a slice of bread and butter with his. You could serve any vegetable on the side. Green beans and carrots are nice. I like salad.
Its a great way of stretching out leftovers. I do like a thick gravy with mine. I don't like it too soupy, but if you do, then you could certainly add more gravy, or make your gravy thinner, but do bear in mind that the potatoes will absorb some of the gravy, so you want your gravy to be a bit on the thick side and your potatoes as well. You don't want a soupy thatch!
Yield: 4
A Simple Cottage Pie
prep time: 20 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 65 mins
Simple, delicious, and a family pleasing comfort food.
ingredients:
400g leftover roast beef, roughly chopped (about 3 cups)
1 TBS butter
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, trimmed and chopped
1/2 carrot, peeled and grated
a cube of swede (rutabaga) peeled and grated
1 TBS tomato puree
1 TBS plain flour
1/2 TBS brown sauce (HP sauce)
400ml well flavoured beef stock (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp summer savoury
salt and black pepper to taste
100g frozen peas (1 cup)
For the potato thatch:
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
warm milk
a knob of butter
salt and pepper
2 TBS grated cheese (Parmesan or cheddar)
melted butter to brush (optionalinstructions:
Put the potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water and
bring to the boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes until soft. Drain well
and then return the potatoes to the pan. Shake the pan over the residual
heat of the burner to dry them out a bit and then mash the potatoes
well until smooth with some warm milk, and a knob of butter. Season to
taste with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese. Set aside and keep
warm.
bring to the boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes until soft. Drain well
and then return the potatoes to the pan. Shake the pan over the residual
heat of the burner to dry them out a bit and then mash the potatoes
well until smooth with some warm milk, and a knob of butter. Season to
taste with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese. Set aside and keep
warm.
Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the
onion, celery, carrot and sweet. Cook, stirring frequently over medium
low heat until softened and the onion is translucent. Stir in the
flour. Slowly stir in the beef stock and bring to the boil. Cook,
stirring constantly until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the
tomato puree, brown sauce, and summer savoury. Season to taste with
salt and black pepper and then stir in the chopped beef. Pour this into
the bottom of a buttered 1 litre (1 quart) shallow baking dish.
Sprinkle the frozen peas over top. Spread the mashed potatoes on top to
cover. Rough up the potato a bit with a fork. Brush with melted
butter.
onion, celery, carrot and sweet. Cook, stirring frequently over medium
low heat until softened and the onion is translucent. Stir in the
flour. Slowly stir in the beef stock and bring to the boil. Cook,
stirring constantly until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the
tomato puree, brown sauce, and summer savoury. Season to taste with
salt and black pepper and then stir in the chopped beef. Pour this into
the bottom of a buttered 1 litre (1 quart) shallow baking dish.
Sprinkle the frozen peas over top. Spread the mashed potatoes on top to
cover. Rough up the potato a bit with a fork. Brush with melted
butter.
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas
mark 6. Bake the casserole in the heated oven for 45 minutes until the
potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let stand 15
minutes prior to serving. Serve hot with your favourite sides.
mark 6. Bake the casserole in the heated oven for 45 minutes until the
potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let stand 15
minutes prior to serving. Serve hot with your favourite sides.
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We are really going to enjoy the leftovers today for our tea! Dishes like this have a habit of tasting even better the next day! Bon Appetit!
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