Usually at the weekend, I like to do something a bit special for our breakfast. During the week its mostly whatever we can grab. Todd always does his oats and I usually have my raisin bran. We're both happy with this situation.
We both have busy days and not a lot of time to sit and relax over a cooked breakfast during the week. I once heard someone say that retirement was a myth and I have to agree. Since we both quit work, our time seems to evaporate. I ofttimes find myself wondering how I ever got done what I did when I was working because I don't seem to be able to get a fraction of the things done that I want to do!
Anyways, this was a rather convoluted way to get around to telling you about this tasty breakfast dish wasn't it! DUH! (Maybe that's why I don't get things done. I am too busy taking the long way around!)
Tomato, avocado and pancetta are a trinity of beautiful breakfast flavours . . . of course you could just use bacon, but I adore the milder flavour of pancetta . . .
So what's the difference between Pancetta and Bacon you ask? To make bacon, pork belly sides are brined and then smoked. Pancetta, the Italian version of bacon, is made by seasoning a pork belly side with salt and lots of pepper, curling it into a tight roll, and wrapping it in a casing to hold the shape. It's cured, but it isn't smoked. Its usually sliced a lot thinner than streaky bacon as well.
I love avocado . . . its so smooth and rich . . . filled with good fats, and it provides a wonderfully smooth and creamy contrast to the crisp toasted bread and the salty crisp pancetta . . .
I used cherry vine tomatoes . . . very nice. They are brushed with orange marmalade and sprinkled with spring onions prior to roasting. Roasting really brings out the natural sweetness of tomatoes, especially at this time of year when fresh garden tomatoes are not available.
The marmalade gives them a slightly sweet, yet tangy edge . . . which goes well with the sharpness of the spring onions. By all means leave the marmalade out if you wish.
I used a sliced sour dough bavette for the toast. Oh, I do so love sour dough bread, don't you?
The three flavours all together were completely delightful! Bright to look at and very fresh tasting!
We both seriously enjoyed! I think you will too!
Yield: 2
Tomato, Avocado & Pancetta on Toast
prep time: cook time: total time:
These are fabulous. You get the crisp toast, the creamy and unctuous avocado, the salty pancetta and then the sweet tomatoes. Altogether a great fit!
ingredients:
6 to 8 rashers of thinly sliced pancetta
12 cherry tomatoes
1 TBS orange marmalade
2 spring onions, finely snipped
1 ripe avocado
2 thick slices of sour dough bavette
butter for spreading.
instructions:
Pan fry the pancetta until it reaches your desired crispness in a skillet. Set aside and keep warm.
Preheat
the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Line a small baking tray with
foil and lay out the tomatoes on the tray. Brush with the marmalade and
sprinkle with the spring onions. Roast in the oven for about 15
minutes. Thickly slice the avocado.
the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Line a small baking tray with
foil and lay out the tomatoes on the tray. Brush with the marmalade and
sprinkle with the spring onions. Roast in the oven for about 15
minutes. Thickly slice the avocado.
bavette slices and butter. Lay the pancetta on top and cover with the
sliced avocado and finally the roasted tomatoes. Serve immediately.
Created using The Recipes Generator
As you are reading this, I will be beginning my one week trial of the new Diet Plan which is coming to the UK from France, called Dietbon! I am excited to be trying it out.
A big box with all the meals for six days arrived at the weekend. There are breakfasts, lunches and dinners for 6 days, plus some herbal teas and even some snacks. I will keep you posted as to how it's going! In the meantime Bon Appetit!
I had some cooked turkey in the freezer and I decided to make something with it the other day. Sometimes, when you cook a big turkey, you end up with a lot of leftovers. You get tired of it, so I usually freeze about half of it to use later on when we aren't tired of it anymore. It just makes sense.
This delicious and hearty chili is something that I like to make with it. Oh I do love a good turkey soup and a turkey pot pie, but this chili is something else which I really love!
Because there are only two of us, I normally cut the recipe in half. This gives us plenty to enjoy on the first day, and then I have some ready to freeze for another time. A full recipe would feed 8 people. Its nice to know that you can successfully make only half of the recipe.
It uses things I normally have in my store cupboard/larder as well . . . things like tinned kidney beans, tinned chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato puree/paste . . .Chili powder . . .
By that I don't mean Chile powder, which is really, really hot and is composed of nothing but ground dried red chilies . . . I mean Chili powder, which is a mix of herbs and spices meant to be used in Tex Mex or Mexican cookery.
I made the mistake when I first moved over here of thinking that the two powders were one and the same and just about blew our heads off with extremely hot, inedible food. You wouldn't want to add a TBS of Chile powder to anything!
Chili powder is impossible to find over here, so I make my own. Its easily done and works wonderfully in dishes like this. I have included the recipe below.
There is also onions, garlic and chopped green peppers in this dish . . . and then the turkey of course! You could also use leftover cooked chicken if you wanted to, and to be honest, if you had leftover roast beef or pork, you could use that, substituting the chicken stock with beef stock in the case of leftover roast beef. If you didn't have any leftover cooked roast, you could also use ground turkey, just brown it with the onions and peppers!
I am a great believer in not wasting anything if I can help it!
You can top your finished chili with some grated cheese if you like. I like to top mine with some grated strong cheddar, but Jack cheese or a medium cheddar would also be nice.
I also like a dollop of sour cream on mine, but I didn't have any the other day . . . mores the pity. A dollop of sour cream is really nice!
If you want an even heartier meal you can serve it with cooked rice . . . or if you are looking on the lighter side, you could serve it with crackers . . .
We like to enjoy it with squares of cornbread, which is really delicious. I use my MIL's recipe for her cornbread/corncake. Its my favourite. You can find that recipe here if you are interested.
No matter what you serve it with this simple recipe is guaranteed to go down a real treat with whoever you serve it to!
Yield: 8
Turkey Chili
prep time: 15 minscook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 hours and 15 mins
This is an easy and delicious way to use up leftover cooked turkey (or chicken.) I like to serve it with cheese grated over top and a square of cornbread on the side! A dollop of sour cream would also be nice.
ingredients:
2 TBS olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
1 large green pepper, trimmed, de-seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 TBS mild chili powder (see my recipe below)
(can use more if you like it spicier)
1 TBS ground cumin
1 TBS ground cumin
3 (425g) tins of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice (3 15-oz tins), un-drained
1 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
240ml turkey or chicken stock (1 cup)
2 (425g) tins of kidney beans, drained and rinsed (2 15-oz tins)
1 tsp dried oregano
fine sea salt and black pepper to taste
3 to 4 cups shredded or cubed cooked turkey (chicken) meat
1 to 3 tsp sugar (optional)
Optional Toppings:
grated cheddar cheese
sour creaminstructions:
Heat the oil in a large heavy based
pan. Add the onions and green peppers. Cook, stirring frequently,
until golden. Add the garlic, chili powder and cumin. Cook and stir
until quite fragrant. Stir in the undrained tomatoes, the beans,
chicken/turkey stock, tomato puree, turkey, oregano and seasoning to
taste. Bring to a slow simmer, then partially cover and simmer on low
for about an hour. Stir in sugar if using. Taste and adjust seasoning
as required with salt and black pepper. Ladle into heated bowls and top
with optional cheese and sour cream if desired. Pass the cornbread!
pan. Add the onions and green peppers. Cook, stirring frequently,
until golden. Add the garlic, chili powder and cumin. Cook and stir
until quite fragrant. Stir in the undrained tomatoes, the beans,
chicken/turkey stock, tomato puree, turkey, oregano and seasoning to
taste. Bring to a slow simmer, then partially cover and simmer on low
for about an hour. Stir in sugar if using. Taste and adjust seasoning
as required with salt and black pepper. Ladle into heated bowls and top
with optional cheese and sour cream if desired. Pass the cornbread!
Note - you can make this in advance and keep it chilled for up to 2 days prior
to reheating and serving. You can also freeze it for up to two months.
to reheating and serving. You can also freeze it for up to two months.
Created using The Recipes Generator
Yield: 12
Chili Powder Seasoning
prep time: cook time: total time:
A delicious blend of spices suitable for using in Chili and other Tex Mex favourites.
ingredients:
1 tsp oregano flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 TBS cumin seed
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 TBS smoked paprika
1 TBS sweet paprika
instructions:
Toast the cumin seeds for several minutes in a dry skillet. Take care not to burn them. Put them into a spice/coffee grinder with all of the other ingredients. Blitz to a powder. Store in an airtight container in a dark area. Will keep for up to six months.
Created using The Recipes Generator
This really is a fabulous recipe. Its so adaptable, easy to make and is a real family pleaser. I hope you will give it a try. I think you'll agree with me! Bon Appetit!
I am a huge fan of scones. They are such a lovely treat, especially at the weekend.
These are a cross between a pastry and a North American Biscuit . . . there are about as many varieties of scones that you can come with as your imagination can dream up!
Today I baked us some Honey & Date Scones . . . I love dates and I love honey . . . the two have very similar qualities . . . both being sticky and sweet . . .
Dates have a Toffee, almost Caramel-like flavour . . . which is why they are such an integral part of a Sticky Toffee Pudding.
They are like nature's candy!
They are lovely in all kinds of baked goods. We love them in cakes and cookies . . . pies even . . . it seemed to be only a natural thing to try them in scones.
I found a recipe on line for Honey & Ginger Scones on What's Cooking America. This recipe has been adapted from that one, adding chopped dates and converting it to British measurements.
I thought the temperature on the original recipe was a bit on the high side, and as you can see my scones got a tad bit dark, however perfectly baked they were.
I have reduced the temperature to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Most scones bake well at that temperature.
A few things to remember. Keep your ingredients cold. The butter, the cream . . . you don't want the butter to melt before you bake it or while you are cutting it into the flour.
If your ingredients are cold, your scones will rise higher. You may even want to chill your bowl and pastry blender prior to using them.
Don't over work the dough. Bring it together and pat it out with the least amount of handling as possible. You can knead it very gently just a couple of times if necessary to help bring it together.
But the most tender and flaky scones come from a dough that has not been overly worked.
When you are cutting them out, use a sharp tapping motion, pushing it straight down and then lifting it straight up. Don't twist the cutter. When you twist the cutter the end result will be lopsided scones.
The flavour will still be excellent, but they won't be as aesthetically pleasing to the eye! So if you are going for something that not only tastes good, but looks good . . . don't twist the cutter!
I picked up some clotted cream for us to enjoy with the scones. Clotted cream is thick, rich and indulgent with the consistency of soft butter.
It is made by heating normal cream to evaporate some of the liquids, and contains at least 55 per cent butter fat, which gives it a pale yellow colour that is often topped with a deeper yellow crust.
It has the same Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status as Stilton Cheese and Jersey Royal Potatoes, which gives its name EU-wide protection from potential imitators.
Clotted Cream comes from Devon and Cornwall. Anything else is a pretender. I will say that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to make proper authentic clotted cream at home.
At best you will only ever come up with something similar, but not the same . . . and if anyone ever tells you anything different, they don't know what they are talking about.
Along with the clotted cream, I served it with some Bonne Maman Caramel for spreading. That and the clotted cream turned these scones into a really wonderfully indulgent taste experience!
Yield: Makes 6 to 8
Honey & Date Scones
prep time: 15 minscook time: 15 minstotal time: 30 mins
These lovely scones are buttery, flaky, flavoured with honey and studded with sticky bits of date.
ingredients:
315g plain flour (2 1/4 cups)
45g caster sugar (1/4 cup fine granulated sugar)
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
120g unsalted butter, cut into cubes (1/2 cup)
40g chopped pitted dates (1/4 cup)
120ml heavy cream (1/2 cup whipping)
60ml liquid honey (1/4 cup)
1 TBS cream to brush on top
demerara sugar (turbinado) to sprinkle on topinstructions:
Preheat oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside
Measure
the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Whisk together.
Drop in the cold butter and then cut it in with a pastry blender. Stir
in the chopped dates. Whisk together the cream and honey. Pour into
the flour mixture and stir together, just to combine. Tip out onto a
lightly floured surface. Knead a couple of times to bring together and
then lightly pat out to a 7 inch round, about 3/4 inch thick.
the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Whisk together.
Drop in the cold butter and then cut it in with a pastry blender. Stir
in the chopped dates. Whisk together the cream and honey. Pour into
the flour mixture and stir together, just to combine. Tip out onto a
lightly floured surface. Knead a couple of times to bring together and
then lightly pat out to a 7 inch round, about 3/4 inch thick.
into rounds using a floured cutter, using a sharp up and down motion.
Place 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with a bit of
cream and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until
well risen and golden brown.
It's very dull and gloomy today . . . these fabulous scones brought a little bit of sunshine into our lives for sure! I hope you will give them a try! 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@aol.com
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
We had a lovely lunch at our friend's Tina and Tony on Thursday. Tina is an excellent cook, and also used to cook for a living like I did. I love going there for lunch. Aside from the wonderful food, I know we are going to enjoy some great companionship with two people we really love to spend time with.
Our meal was really lovely (no surprise)! We feasted on Beef Pot Roast, roasted potatoes, carrots, string beans and cauliflower cheese. It was all very tasty. (It always is!)
She actually had two desserts. One was a slimming world friendly Jelly Dessert with fruit, and the other was this fabulous Vanilla Sauced Bread Pudding!
She very graciously shared the recipe with me so that I could share it with you and here it is. Twenty four hours later I was making it for Todd, that's how good it was and how much we enjoyed it! High accolades indeed!
I just happened to have a stale French stick that needed using up, so it all seemed to be meant to be. I have a box of diet food arriving today, that I will be trialing a new Diet Plan all next week, so I wanted to get any desserts out of the way and out of the house before then!
This really is a fabulous pudding and very simple to make. Its basically just bread, milk, butter, sugar and eggs, with some vanilla and nutmeg for seasoning.
Here's a handy tip if you are like me and grate your own fresh nutmeg. I always end up with little bits from the ends of the nutmegs, which I have always been afraid to grate on my micro plane. I don't relish the idea of grated knuckles or finger tips.
What I do now is to save up a bunch of the ends until I have a few and then I grind them in my Cook House Coffee/Spice grinder. It works a charm! No waste and perfectly ground nutmeg!
Basically you soak the bread and raisins in milk and butter until it softens and then beat in eggs, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg, pour it into a buttered baking dish and bake.
If you are not fond of raisins you could use chocolate chips, or vanilla chips, or dried cherries or cranberries . . . . chopped dried apricots, figs or dates . . . any dried fruit or even mix of dried fruits in the same quantities would work well!
Once the pudding is baked you make a simple vanilla caramel sauce, which goes together in a flash on top of the stove.
I like to pour just a little bit of this on top of the hot pudding when it comes out of the oven . . . it glazes it very nicely.
After that it is ready to be spooned out into bowls . . . with some more of the sauce on the side . . .
ready to pour over each serving . . . mmm . . . .
This is so, so, soooooo good . . .
The pudding is a but crisp on the outsides, but soft and unctuously moreish on the insides . . . studded with sticky raisins . . .
This is wonderful just as is with just more of the sauce spooned over top . . . or with some pouring cream or warm custard . . . the North American in me would enjoy this with cold vanilla ice cream! The glutton in me would enjoy it with anything, or even nothing at all! 😉
Yield: 8
Vanilla Sauced Bread Pudding
prep time: 15 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 60 mins
This delicious bread pudding was served at my friend Tina's the other day. She was gracious enough to share the recipe with us. Serve on it's own with more of the sauce poured over top, along with cream, warm custard or even vanilla ice cream if you wish!
ingredients:
240g stale white bread, cut into cubes (4 cups, or 8 thick slices)
75g raisins (1/2 cup)
480ml whole milk (2 cups)
60g butter (1/4 cup)
95g sugar (1/2 cup)
2 large free range eggs, beaten lightly
1 TBS vanilla
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
For the sauce:
120g butter (1/2 cup)
95g sugar (1/2 cup)
100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
120ml heavy cream (1/2 cup whipping cream)
1 TBS vanilla
To serve: (optional)
pouring cream, warm custard sauce, or vanilla ice creaminstructions:
Put the milk for the pudding in the microwave along with the
butter. Heat just to melt the butter. Put the cubed bread into a large
bowl along with the raisins. Pour the milk/butter mixture over top,
pressing down to submerge completely. Let stand for 10 minutes.
butter. Heat just to melt the butter. Put the cubed bread into a large
bowl along with the raisins. Pour the milk/butter mixture over top,
pressing down to submerge completely. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Preheat
the oven to 180*c/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a large shallow casserole
dish. (1 1/2 litre/1 1/2 Qt) Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla into the
bread mixture along with the nutmeg. Pour into the prepared baking
dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until just set in
the centre.
the oven to 180*c/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a large shallow casserole
dish. (1 1/2 litre/1 1/2 Qt) Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla into the
bread mixture along with the nutmeg. Pour into the prepared baking
dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until just set in
the centre.
Measure the butter, both sugars
and cream into a saucepan. Cover over medium heat, stirring
occasionally, until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Remove
from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
and cream into a saucepan. Cover over medium heat, stirring
occasionally, until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Remove
from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
Spoon a
bit of the sauce over the pudding to cover. Serve warm, spooned into
dessert dishes with the extra sauce on the side to pour over top. Pass
cream or custard if desired, or serve with some vanilla ice cream.
bit of the sauce over the pudding to cover. Serve warm, spooned into
dessert dishes with the extra sauce on the side to pour over top. Pass
cream or custard if desired, or serve with some vanilla ice cream.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I know . . . most bloggers out there are posting diet dishes now, helping you to shed the pounds after all of the holiday excess. I am not one to follow trends. You won't find veganuary on here or any other gimick. I won't pretend to be what I am not. I also don't do New Year's resolutions, but am looking forward to trying this new Diet Plan next week. Thankfully I will still be able to cook for Todd! Happy weekend and Bon Appetit!
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