I was recently sent some snacks to try out from Snaffling Pig the makers of tasty pork crackling snacks! It is true that you can use ever bit of the pig and these snacks are proof positive of that! Created from the skin of the animal, they are infused with fabulous flavours and cooked until moreishly crisp!
You can get them in plain and Perfectly Salted . . . spicy Habanero . . .
Long Slow Barbeque and Salt'N'Vinegar . . . .
Mighty Mustard and Marvellous Maple . . .
You can get them in single serve sized bags and in containers large enough for sharing with your friends.
Winners of NINE Great Taste Awards, which is a huge accomplishment and I am not surprised as they are really tasty. Indulgent, yes . . . great with cold drinks and for parties, game nights and get togethers. They also make wonderful "breading" for anyone who is low-carbing it. They can be purchased online, and are available in select Sainsbury's all over the UK. As they say Dream Pig.
I am a huge fan of Tex Mex, Mexican . . . anything. I just adore the flavours. It wasn't something we had when I was growing up.
I can't even remember the first time I tasted anything Tex Mex, but I know that it was love at first bite. A love affair that began with that and has steadily grown stronger through the years.
I am also a HUGE fan of the Gilmore Girls. Love all of the characters. I can't tell you how many times we have watched the series. One of my favourite episodes has Luke Dane's grill chef dancing around the restaurant shouting Chilaquiles!
Its a dish he has introduced to the menu in Luke's absence and which has gone over really well. Ever since I first saw that episode I have wanted to try Chilaquiles!
Armed with a curiosity I went on a search to find out exactly what Chilaquiles was! Surely anything that had a grown man dancing around a diner had to be great!
From Websters Dictionary . . .
chi·la·qui·les | \ ˌchē-lä-ˈkē-lās \
A Mexican dish of fried corn tortilla pieces simmered with salsa or mole and typically topped with cheese and other accompaniments (such as sliced onions, shredded chicken, and fried or scrambled eggs)
It is said to be a peasant dish. Well, we are simple folk . . . sounded right up our alley!
Sounded simple enough.
Yesterday I had some leftover chicken, as well as some leftover lightly salted tortilla chips, and decided that I was going to make Chicken Chilaquiles!
I also had a jar of tomato salsa.
I always make my own enchilada sauce. I've been doing this for several years now.
Its easy enough to do and tastes infinitely better than anything from a jar.
Simple Red Enchilada Sauce
Yield: Makes 2 cups
This is a delicious enchilada sauce. You will never want to use store bought again. You can double the recipe and freeze it for future use if you wish. Make sure you have all the ingredients assembled prior to making and it goes together really quickly.
ingredients:
- 3 TBS light olive oil
- 3 TBS flour (whole wheat works well, as does a gluten free flour blend)
- 1 TBS ground mild chili powder (North American style)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano, rubbed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- pinch ground cinnamon
- 2 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
- 480ml hot vegetable stock (2 cups)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
instructions:
How to cook Simple Red Enchilada Sauce
- Whisk together the dry ingredients until well combined. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Whisk in the dry ingredients. Cook, stirring, for several minutes, until quite fragrant and deep in colour. Whisk in the tomato puree and then slowly whisk in the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly. Reduce to low and simmer for about 7 or 8 minutes, whisking occasionally. Whisk in the vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
I made a batch of that and mixed some of it with the salsa . . .
Then into the baking dish went some crumbled tortilla chips. I used lightly salted and I did crumble them a bit.
You could leave them whole I suppose, but I wanted them to lay a bit more evenly in the dish.
You pour half the sauce over them, and then scatter the shredded chicken over top . . .
You can use leftover roasted chicken, or you can poach chicken on purpose to use in this.
Poaching your own chicken is very easy to do . . .
Just pop your chicken into a saucepan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Cook for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit until lukewarm.
By that time your chicken will be cooked through perfectly and be perfectly moist . . . drain it well and then shred it with a couple of forks.
Easy peasy.
Pour the remaining sauce over top of the chicken, scatter with cheese and then bake . . . for a while covered and them for a short time, uncovered.
Perfect!
I scattered spring onions over top and some chopped flat leaf parsley and served. I meant to serve it with some sour cream, but to be honest, we both thought this so delicious looking we tucked in and forgot all about the sour cream!
Simple Chilaquiles
Yield: 4
Nothing could be easier or tastier. Simple and delicious.
ingredients:
- about 30 lightly salted tortilla chips
- 120g tomato salsa (3/4 cup)
- 185g red enchilada sauce (3/4 cup)
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
- 120g grated cheese ( cheddar or Jack, 1 cup)
- finely sliced spring onions
instructions:
How to cook Simple Chilaquiles
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch pie tin or an 9 inch square casserole dish.
- Measure the enchilada sauce and salsa into a small saucepan and heat through. Roughly crumble the tortilla chips into the prepared baking dish. Pour half of the sauce mixture over top. Scatter the shredded chicken over this. Pour the remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with the cheese. Cover tightly with a sheet of aluminium foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes or so longer.
- Serve hot with some spring onions scattered over the top.
I am in love. I can see me making this simple and delicious dish/casserole often. I think you will fall in love too. It was so tasty I wanted to dance around the dining room shouting Chilaquiles. Somehow . . . I restrained myself. 😉
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.
I was recently contacted and asked if I would like to try and review the Zero Water water filtrations system. A bit about the system:
ZeroWater is the only gravity-fed filtration system to match the TDS levels found in purified bottle water. This breakthrough filtration system from ZeroWater is certified by NSF International for the reduction of Lead and other heavy metals such as Chromium 3 & 6 and Mercury. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute have also revealed that ZeroWater removes more total contaminants from water than a regular Brita filter, making it a must have for all homes in the UK.
The system includes a sturdy plastic jug, which has a unique lid, and a heavy duty filter, along with a water purity meter/stick that fits right into the lid.
The filter screws securely into the base of the lid
which also has a receptacle to hold the water as you pour it in to be filtered through.
There is also a handy dispensing spigot for dispensing water into your glass after it has been filtered.
"ZeroWater's
12-cup Ready-Pour™ pitcher is the first in its class that has a sealed
lid and reservoir, making it possible to pour water that has already
been filtered without spilling water that's still filtering. This means
the reservoir can now be kept full, adding a full two cups' capacity to
the existing 10-cup design. It also features a one-hand, pull and pour
button spout for easy bottle filling."
There are some really bold claims made on the box, claims I was keen to put to the test. We never drink tap water here in our home. Only bottled water, which . . . as you know . . . can oftimes be rather expensive . . . and I have often wondered if the cheaper varieties are all that they claim to be.
"The
12-cup Ready-Pour™ uses the patented ZeroWater filtration system, which
combines FIVE sophisticated technologies that work together to remove
virtually all dissolved solids from your water. The result is
great-tasting water, straight from the tap, and the only pour-through
filter pitcher on the market that’s certified by the NSF to reduce lead."
"ZeroWater's first layer of filtration, activated carbon and oxidation reduction alloy, removes the chlorine taste you are accustomed to with tap water. The Ion Exchange stage removes virtually all dissolved solids that may be left over from public water systems or even leached into your water from piping, such as aluminium, lead, zinc, nitrates, and more. Three additional stages are included to remove other impurities and ensure your water receives the appropriate amount of treatment time to deliver a "000" reading on the included laboratory-grade Total Dissolved Solids meter."
This was the meter reading of our water right as it came out of the tap . . . ugh . . . made me happy we haven't been drinking it actually. Full of God knows what . . . I read articles just recently that said when we are drinking tap water, we are drinking the same water that we wash in/wee in, etc. which has been treated and deemed drinkable . . . with chemicals.
This was the reading of that same water after having put it through the filtration process . . .
I was pretty amazed . . . 000 . . . pure, pure, pure . . . and so I thought I would try the bottled water, just to see what that read on the purity scale . . .
Ugh . . . 131 . . . and to think we pay for this. I was gobsmacked!!! Not as pure as I thought it would be.
This Zero Water water filter really does deliver on what it says! We were both really pleased with the results, and the water tastes great!
About ZeroWater
- NSF Certified to REDUCE LEAD
- Removes 99.6% of all dissolved solids
- Purest tasting drinking water
- 12 cup capacity = 10 cup pitcher + 2 cups in reserve
- Immediate pouring ability
- One-hand "push to dispense" spout to fill any bottle or cup
- Convenient space-saving design
- Certified* to reduce Lead, Chromium, & Mercury
- Premium 5-Stage Dual-Ion Exchange filtration system
- Ion-Exchange system that removes virtually all dissolved solids in your water
- The FDA requires the TDS level in PURIFIED bottled water to reach 000-010ppm. ZeroWater is the only filter in its class to achieve this level.
If it has a downside at all it is the size of the larger one. It is rather bulky and has been difficult to find a space in the refrigerator for it. The replacement filters can also be a bit pricey, but then I suppose it all depends on what value you put on the worth of clean drinking water. We have decided that it is worth the cost and we will be keeping it up.
Many thanks to ZeroWater for sending us their 12 cup ready pour system to try out. I think I am going to send for the smaller one because it will fit into our refrigerator much easier. It also comes in a portable travel and sports bottle size. Bonus!
Mmmm . . . shortbread cookies . . . crisp . . . buttery . . . moreishly edible. Perfect on their own or with a hot cuppa . . . lovely with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a bowl of berries . . . delightful any way you choose to enjoy them . . . .
Toffee shortbread . . . crisp and buttery . . . created with a mix of flour, butter and dark soft brown sugar . . . plus an egg yolk . . . I love the flavours of toffee and butterscotch don't you?
When I was a child my father always had a small tub of butterscotch wafers in his top dresser drawer. Having him share one with us was a rare and much treasured treat!
We did not get a lot of candy when we were children . . . Christmas, Easter, Halloween and on special occasions such as Birthdays. That was it, and we were much healthier for it.
Back to the short breads . . . crisp, buttery, golden, toffee flavoured and topped with a rich semi sweet chocolate ganache . . .
Creamy and rich . . . chocolaty . . . now add a sprinkle of toasted pecan nuts . . .
Toasting nuts enhances their nuttiness . . .
This is a brilliant combination . . . crisp buttery toffee shortbread base . . . creamy rich decadent chocolate . . . crunchy toasty nutty . . .
I apologise for my inability to cut anything in a straight line or evenly . . . I can draw just about anything . . .
but a straight line . . . I even mess it up when I am using a ruler. Seriously. Meh . . . just one of my charms I guess!
These are simple . . . and yet special . . . all at the same time . . .
Incredibly moreish . . . you tell yourself . . . "I'm only going to have one." . . . but then . . .
Before you know it, you're nibbling on a second one . . . how did that happen?
You need to pick your battles . . . and this isn't one of them.
Shhh . . . I won't tell if you don't tell . . . .
Don't be put off if you don't have a fluted edged tart tin. You can also use a 9 inch square pan and cut them into squares . . . a shape by any other name and all that. Just as tasty.
Crisp Toffee Pecan Short Breads
Yield: Makes 16 servings
Crisp buttery wedges of a toffee flavoured shortbread, topped with a semi sweet chocolate ganache and toasted pecans!
ingredients:
For the short breads:
- 8 TBS butter at room temperature
- 100g soft dark brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
- pinch salt
- 1 large free range egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 140g plain flour (1 cup)
For the Ganache and topping:
- 145g semi sweet chocolate chips (5 ounces)
- 3 TBS double cream (heavy cream)
- 60g toasted pecans chopped (1/2 cup)
instructions:
How to cook Crisp Toffee Pecan Short Breads
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 1/2 inch fluted tart tin with a removable bottom well. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter, salt, and the brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla. Beat in the flour until the dough begins to clump together. Spoon into the prepared tin and press into it in an even layer using lightly floured hands. Bake in the preheated oven until dry and golden and the cookie has begun to shrink a bit from the sides of the pan, 25 to 27 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- Put the chocolate chips and cream into a bowl and pop into the microwave. Cook at 30 second intervals, whisking after each, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour over the centre of the warm crust and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Sprinkle with the toasted pecans.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours then cut into 16 wedges to serve. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container with wax paper between.
These freeze really well. You can also double the recipe and bake them in a 9 by 15 inch pan, cutting them into about 60 squares when done. Perfect for showers and teas . . . and for tiny discreet indulgences. I mean if you can eat it all in one bite there's no calories, right? Right.
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