I cooked my husband a Roast Beef Dinner for Father's Day at the weekend, with all the trimmings. Even Yorkshire Puddings. He was in Man-Food Heaven!
He loves my roast beef and my Yorkshires! These are recipes I learnt from my late FIL who was a cook in the Canadian Forces. As you know an army marches on it's stomach, so as you can imagine he was an excellent cook!
Normally with a Roast Dinner over here they will serve cabbage of some sort, or Brussels sprouts. Usually the crinkle leafed Savoy Cabbage (lower left above). I never realised there were so many kinds of cabbage until I moved here to the UK.
They love their cabbage. In the photo above, going clockwise from the Savoy you will see Sweetheart Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Red Cabbage and White Cabbage, which is the type I was used to cooking with from home.
I didn't have any other kind or even any Brussels Sprouts to cook for Todd, just a white cabbage. It is lovely fried, and in cabbage rolls, or coleslaw . . . but it just doesn't shine when it is boiled or steamed.
Then I realised I had never shown you my favourite recipe for Creamed Cabbage and so I decided to make that as a side dish!
What this recipe may lack in bells and whistles, it more than makes up for in taste!
Creamed Cabbage might look and sound quite unremarkable, but I can assure you, it is anything BUT unremarkable!
Its just cold cooked cabbage, mixed with a rich cream sauce, covered with buttered cracker crumbs and baked until bubbling and golden brown.
This is a lucious twist on traditional creamed vegetables however.
The cream sauce is rich and flavoured with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
You could add some hot pepper sauce or dried mustard powder if you want it to have a bit of a bite.
Taste and make sure you have enough salt. The cabbage won't be very salty, and it will need the lift.
I know we are not supposed to eat too much salt, and we try not to, but some things just need it I find. This does.
Once you have it mixed with the cream sauce, you simply pour it into a buttered baking dish and cover it with buttered cracker crumbs.
Into the oven it goes until it is golden brown . . . those cracker crumbs all crisp and buttery . . . and the cabbage and sauce are bubbling away.
Oh boy, but this is some good. This is a dish I really love and it makes an excellent side dish for roast dinners!!!
Creamed Cabbage
Yield: 4 - 6
This is a good old fashioned dish that we really love. I love cabbage in any way shape or form, but when you combine it with a delicious creamy sauce and cover it with buttered cracker crumbs, I just think it's the best! I could eat a big plate of this and nothing else, and in fact I just may have the leftovers for my supper tonight!
ingredients:
- 2 cups cold cooked cabbage, chopped (About half a medium head of white cabbage)
- 1 TBS butter
- 2 TBS plain flour
- 2 cups hot milk (480ml)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- cracker crumbs
- 2 TBS butter, melted
instructions:
How to cook Creamed Cabbage
- Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Whisk in the hot milk, whisking continuously, and cooking until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
- Place the cabbage in a buttered shallow casserole dish. Pour the cream sauce over top, covering it completely. Mix the cracker crumbs together with the melted butter and sprinkle on top.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the heated oven, until bubbling and nicely browned on top. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.
I don't know why I don't make this more often . . . . wait . . . yes I do . . . its because I could eat the whole thing all by myself! Yes, I could possibly be that greedy when it comes to things I really like! Oh, and if anything, this tastes even better the day after! Oh boy . . .
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
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I have always adored Sauerkraut. My grandfather used to make his own and kept it in a crock down in the cellar of their home. My mother often told the story of her being ill as a child and her Grandmother giving her some of the brine from off the sauerkraut on a spoon, and how it made her better.
My mom would cook us a mess of it, every now and then when I was a child. Sometimes with chunks of ham, other times with pork, sometimes with pickled pork (my favourite!), sometimes even frankfurters. Always with mashed potatoes on the side.
My favourite way to eat it was to take my mashed potatoes, top them with a knob of butter and then mash the kraut into the potatoes! I love everything about sauerkraut . . . the smell when its cooking, the taste . . . everything. It is one of my favourite things!
Back home you can buy it in waxed cartons (just like milk cartons) and you can also buy turnip kraut in the same way. (also delicious) Most of it comes from the South Shore (Nova Scotia), around Lunenburg/Bridgewater way. A lot of Germans settled in that area. And my Grandfather in fact came from an area known as New Germany.
This is one of my favourite ways to cook it now. Your pork chops end up deliciously tender . . . and the sauerkraut gets flavoured a bit from the pork. Num num!
I also add onion and apple to the sauerkraut . . . and bacon. Mmmm . . . bacon.
I add a touch of caraway seed as well, but you can leave it out if it is not to your taste and you don't like it. Some people are not fond of caraway I know . . .
This time I had ultra thick bone in loin chops that I had bought at Costco one time. I only used two of them and there was plenty for us to enjoy for two meals. I think the meat at Costco is beautiful. I have never been disappointed.
Of course, just as in childhood . . . I accompanied this delicious entree with some fluffy white mashed potatoes.
We had the leftovers for dinner the day after and if anything they tasted even better. That is often the way with things like this.
Mom always said cooking things like this and then letting them "ripen" overnight was the secret to their deliciousness. It is the same with most things like spaghetti sauce, stew, chili, etc.
Pork Chops & Sauerkraut
Yield: 4
A delicious hearty casserole. Tender bone in pork loin chops cook atop a delicious sauerkraut mixture for a delicious meal. All you need is some mashed potatoes on the side, or baked, or boiled as you prefer!
ingredients:
- 4 bone in loin pork chops
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 6 slices streaky bacon
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 (795g) jar of sauerkraut, drained (28 oz jar)
- 1 TBS brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- coarse black pepper to taste
- 60ml water (1/4 cup)
instructions:
How to cook Pork Chops & Sauerkraut
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a baking dish large enough to hold all of the pork chops in a single layer.
- Brown the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Add the oil to the pan drippings (if needed) and heat. Season the chops on both sides with salt and black pepper. Brown them lightly on both sides and set aside.
- Add the the onions to the skillet and start to soften. After a few minutes, remove about half and set aside. Add the apples to the skillet and cook for a few minutes longer. Add the sauerkraut, water, brown sugar, caraway seed and black pepper to taste and mix well together. Chop the bacon and stir in. Bring to the boil, then turn the whole mixture into the baking dish. Place the chops on top. Scatter the reserved onions on top of the chops. Cover with foil and then roast in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.
- I like to serve this with fluffy mashed potatoes.
We only just had this the other day and looking at these photos makes me want to make it all over again! Funny how that goes. I guess I could never get tired of eating sauerkraut, and that's the truth!
I think I am becoming more adventurous in my old age when it comes to food. That's probably because I don't have fussy children in the house to please any more.
My husband is not a fussy eater. He doesn't really like pasta or chocolate, but he pretty much eats whatever I put in front of him.
I really enjoy the freedom I have now to explore and cook whatever I desire (within reason) and a variety of flavours and ethnic dishes, etc.
I have discovered in later years that I really enjoy Mediterranean and Middle East flavours!
I was sent some lovely Greek Flat Breads the other day and took advantage of them to make these fabulous Easy Chicken Gyros. (Yee-ros)
The Greek Flat Breads are from Deli Kitchen and they are just beautiful. Soft and flexible they are perfect for recipes such as this!
Gyros are a Greek sandwich which consists of grilled meat (chicken, lamb, beef or pork) which has been marinated in a delicious marinade prior to grilling, sliced and layered onto a flat bread along with some salad and some creamy Tzatzki sauce.
Sound yummy? They are incredibly tasty to say the least!
They are a popular sandwich found in many takeaways here in the UK. Along with a lamb/beef version.
I prefer to make them at home so that I know exactly what goes into them. (I have seen too many horror stories on the television about the cleanliness in these types of establishments!!)
They are really a very easy sandwich to make and quite quick if you do a bit of planning ahead of time.
Today I used chicken thighs which I had marinated in a fabulously tasty, garlicky, yogurty, oregano rich marinade.
You want to plan ahead a bit as you will want to marinate the chicken for a while before grilling it. Ideally about 12 hours, but certainly no less than 2 hours.
This makes it the perfect quick supper for a week night. Just pop the chicken into marinate while you are out all day at work or school or whatever and then pop it onto the grill when you get home!
Along with the grilled chicken you will need Tzatziki sauce. This is a cool cucumber/yogurt sauce.
You can use a good ready made one, but it is really quite simple to make your own, and infinitely tastier!
You also will want a simple salad garnish. Tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, parsley.
You can mix all of this together with some seasoning and just spoon it on, or you can leave things individually so that people can help themselves.
That is the way we do it in this house as my husband doesn't like much cucumber, but he does like the tomatoes and onions. That way he can please himself.
The chicken is simply grilled. For the most flavour you can do it on the outdoor grill (especially nice in the summer months) or you can pop it under the oven grill, or even in an electric grill.
Whatever is easiest for you and brings you joy! Let it sit for a few minutes after to settle the juices and then slice into bits, ready for layering on the flat breads.
You warm your flat breads while the chicken is resting, then dollop on some of that Tzatziki sauce, some salad fixings and the grilled chicken . . . ready to roll up, secure and enjoy!
Now that's what I call proper tasty!
Quick, easy and DELICIOUS! What more could you want???
Easy Chicken Gyros
Yield: 2 - 3
A small proportioned recipe for the smaller family. Delicious marinated chicken thighs, grilled and served wrapped in a lovely flat bread along with Tzatziki Sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers and chopped red onion. Easily doubled to feed more.
ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 TBS olive oil
- 1 1/2 TBS Greek yogurt
- 3 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Tzatziki:
- 3/4 of an English cucumber, deseeded, grated and squeezed to remove as much juice as possible
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 fresh TBS lemon juice
- 1/2 TBS olive oil
- 1/4 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
You will also need:
- 2 to 3 soft Greek Flat Breads
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 ripe tomato, deseeded and diced
- 2 - 3 TBS finely chopped red onions
- a small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
- salt and pepper as needed
instructions:
How to cook Easy Chicken Gyros
- First put the chicken in to marinate. (You should do this at least two hours ahead of time, and up to 12 hours ahead of time. Mix together all of the marinade ingredients in a plastic refrigerator container. Add the chicken and turn it to coat on all sides. Put the lid on and then place in the refrigerator to marinate.
- To make the Tzatziki, make sure your cucumber has been squeezed quite dry, then put it into a bowl and stir together with the remaining ingredients. Set aside for about 20 minutes in order for the flavours to meld well together.
- To make the salad for the Gyros, mix together the cucumbers, onion, tomato and parsley. Season to taste with some salt and black pepper. Alternately you can just lay the ingredients out on a plate and let people help themselves.
- When you are ready to serve, heat the grill to high. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding any marinade. Grill the chicken on the grill for about 2 to 3 minutes per side., until golden brown and cooked through.
- Cut the chicken into pieces. Keep warm while you warm your flat breads as per package instructions.
- To serve top each flat bread with some of the Tzatziki sauce, a portion of the chicken and some of the salad. Roll up, secure and enjoy!
Oh so yummy. You can get these new Deli Kitchen Greek Flat breads at Sainsburys! They're excellent! The Canadian in me just loves messy eat with your hands food. My husband . . . he prefers a knife and fork. He is just so proper British!
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
Happy Father's Day to all you dad's out there! I know some people think that days like this are just a huge money grab for retailers, but I don't care. I love to celebrate my dad each year in a special way. Oh, I know . . . I love and honor him every day, but what does it hurt to have an extra special day set aside just for dads. Not a thing!
I am about 3 in this photo
Because I am the oldest child I got to enjoy my father for three full years before anyone else came along. I love my father so much. It is from him that I got my love of reading, my brown eyes, my dark hair, my easy going nature and my bum chin! Another thing I got from him is everything Maple Walnut! It is one of his favourite flavour combinations and it is one of mine as well!
Having lost my mom this past January only made my father more precious to us. He is 84 years old now, and thankfully enjoys fairly good health. He's got pacemaker and he has diabetes, but for the most part he does pretty well. He still drives and goes out every day for breakfast at the local cafe and in the afternoon for coffee. I wish I was close enough to spoil him and give him one of these tasty muffins!
Instead my husband Todd is the lucky recipient! We were not blessed to have any children of our own, but we do have a very pampered Cocker Spaniel and Todd is a wonderful father to her.
This fabulously tasty muffin is perfectly sized for one. Just what you want a special treat for someone to be spoiled with, something that is all their own!
I don't really mind because in all honesty I don't need to many of things like this hanging around my kitchen. They get in my mouth and that's not a very good thing at all, as my hips will attest to!
This is a muffin which is lightly sweetened with Maple Syrup. You could add a few drops of maple flavouring if you wanted to. Its not something we have over here in the UK. You could use maple sugar also instead of the brown sugar for full on maple flavour! (That I do have!)
I always like to toast my nuts before baking with them. It really helps to enhance their flavours and is a really easy do. Just pop them onto a baking tray and roast them in a moderate oven until you can smell them. Take them out and let them cool before using.
There are toasted walnuts in the muffin batter itself . . . . and also in the buttery brown sugar and cinnamon streusel topping!
A nice crunch and sweetness to gild the top of what is really a beautiful muffin!
It has a beautiful texture . . .
Wonderful flavours . . . and that crunch on top is in short . . . perfect. Todd declared it most delicious! Of course he enjoyed it hot from the oven with cold butter. Oh how I wish . . .
Maple Walnut Muffin
Yield: Makes one giant muffin
A very generous sized muffin built for one. Sweetened with maple, filled with toasted walnuts and topped with a cinnamon walnut streusel. Bake some loving for your honey bunny today!
ingredients:
- 70g plain flour (1/2 cup)
- 2 TBS packed soft light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- pinch ground cinnamon
- 3 TBS whole milk
- 3 TBS amber grade pure Maple Syrup
- 2 TBS butter, melted
- 1 TBS full fat sour cream (now is not the time to bicker over calories)
- 1 large free range egg yolk
- few drops of vanilla
- 2 TBS chopped toasted walnuts
For the Streusel Topping:
- 2 tsp plain flour
- 2 tsp soft light brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 TBS chopped toasted walnuts
- 1/2 TBS cold butter
instructions:
How to cook Maple Walnut Muffin
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a ramekin or baking dish large enough to hold one cup of batter, and dust with flour, shaking out any excess. (I used a medium round ramekin dish and tied a baking paper hat around it.)
- Make the streusel. Combine the flour, sugar, nuts and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Set aside.
- Whisk all of the dry ingredients for the muffin together in a bowl. Whisk together the wet. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Fold in the toasted walnuts. Pour into the ramekin. Sprinkle the streusel over top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Fabulously tasty!
I will call my father early this afternoon. Hopefully I will catch him in, in between his forays to the local cafe. I expect my sister is having him over for supper tonight. Oh how I wish I could be there to help spoil him as well.
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