We've been working at sorting out a few rooms in the house lately and spent a good part of today getting our guest bedroom ready for guests we are going to have in about a week and a half's time. I didn't really feel like cooking a huge dinner for us after that. What with changing beds, sorting out a few other things. Hoovering, and replacing the towel rack that fell off the wall mid-job . . . and its hot and muggy today . . .
I had a packet of this in the refrigerator that was about to reach its use by date. I started thinking about how Jewish people like to eat salami and eggs and always rave about how tasty they are together. I am sure that it is probably kosher beef salami, but I thought why not use the Italian??? Why indeed!
There were two kinds of salami in the packet . . . Napoli, rich and peppery with whole black peppercorns . . .
Garlicky Ungherese . . . . and of course sliced provolone cheese, beautifully oozy, melty . . . rich.
There was just enough in the packet for two lovely omelets. I used five large free range eggs. I only ever use free range eggs, and if I can find them I buy RSPCB approved eggs. I want to only eat eggs that are produced in a humane environment.
If I could, I would have my own chickens, but I don't think our city garden is the right environment for raising chickens . . .
I added a few torn basil leaves for a bit of freshness . . .
and pan-fried some potatoes and onions for Todd to enjoy along with his . . .
The end result was something quite rich and delicious. We both enjoyed this very much.
Todd also enjoyed some white toast along with his. I just cannot covert that man to whole wheat!
Quite obviously white bread hasn't done him any harm. He's going to be 81 in September and is incredibly fit and healthy for his age! He could run circles around a lot of men younger than himself!
Yield: 2
Salami & Cheese Omelet
Two delicious single sized omelets created to use what I had in the fridge. Serve with some pan fried potatoes and toast for a hearty meal.
ingredients:
- butter to grease the pan
- 5 large free range eggs beaten lightly with 2 TBS whole milk
- 6 thin slices of Napoli salami
- 6 thin slices of Ungherese salami
- 6 slices of provolone cheese
- a few torn basil leaves
- salt and black pepper to taste
instructions:
How to cook Salami & Cheese Omelet
- Beat the eggs together with the milk to combine well. Melt 1 tsp butter in a 6-inch non-stick skillet. Once it begins to foam, pour in half of the beaten egg mixture. Cook over medium low heat, lifting the edges occasionally to allow some of the raw egg to flow beneath. When the eggs are almost set tear a few basil leaves over top and add half of the salami meats and half of the provolone cheese, placing it on only half of the eggs in the pan. Place a lid on top and allow to heat through. Remove the lid. Fold the plain side of the omelet over to cover the meat and cheese and slide onto a heated plate. Keep warm while you repeat for the other omelet. Serve immediately with buttered toast and pan fried potatoes if you wish. Allow individuals to salt and pepper their own omelets. These meats can be both salty and peppery, so not much will be needed.
We are enjoying new potatoes from the garden at the moment, gifted to us from our friends Tina and Tony! They are great for fried potatoes and potato salads. I just scrub them up really well, cut into cubes and they fry them in a bit of butter and oil along with some chopped onion until they are cooked through and golden brown.
The recipe I am sharing with you today is a total carb-fest, but every now and again, a gal has to do what a gal has to do. My husband totally enjoyed this.
I thought that he might. He is a real meat and potatoes kind of a guy! Like most men suppose!
My youngest son went through a period of several years when he was very young where he would only eat certain things.
Once for several weeks, I could only get him to eat hot dogs, and then it was toast, but the toast had to be a certain colour, not too dark, not too light.
He loved all things white . . . white bread, white potatoes, rice . . . and he liked corn. He used to mix his corn into his rice and his potatoes and he called them corny rice or corny potatoes.
Yes, he was more than a bit spoilt and over-indulged, but he was the youngest of five and our last child.
There was seven years age difference between him and our other four children, and we all coddled him.
This casserole is somewhat reminiscent of something which I think he might have enjoyed when he was a boy.
It may sound a bit unusual I suppose. Its actually quite delicious!
I found myself with some leftover pieces of Crispy Chicken that needed using up, so I decided to incorporate them into a tasty bake.
You could use any read to bake breaded chicken cutlets in its place. Just bake them as per the package instructions and then continue as per this recipe.
The base of the bake is a cheesy mashed potatoes.
Filled with spring onions, and cheese . . . creamy and buttery . . . you spread this in a buttered casserole dish.
I sprinkled some frozen corn over top of that and then topped it with some more grated cheese . . .
I am a through and through cheese lover. Kind of crazy if you think that I grew up only eating processed cheese. Real cheese didn't even enter my radar!
Finally I cut the crispy chicken into strips and lay it on top of the corn and cheese.
The casserole then gets banged into the oven so that it can heat through and the cheese will melt . . .
While the casserole was cooking I made a cream gravy.
One of my favourite things is chicken fried chicken with cream gravy . . .
This gravy is an homage to that . . . creamy, rich and peppery . . .
The recipe doesn't make a whole lot, just enough to drizzle generously over top of the finished casserole with a tiny bit to spare.
You could certainly double it if you wished and if your family is fond of cream gravy.
Oh but this was some good. Yes, I did partake and I enjoyed every carb-filled mouthful.
It will be back on the watching my weight band wagon tomorrow. A girl can't be good 100% of the time.
I enjoyed a small serving along with a salad on the side.
My homage to healthy eating. LOL
On a side note, hat's a sandwich plate. I always use a sandwich plate instead of a dinner plate. It helps to keep me in check.
You really need to make this. Its fabulously deliciously tasty! Easy too!
Crispy Chicken with Cheesy Mash & Cream Gravy
Yield: 6
A delicious casserole of cheesy mash topped with bits of crispy chicken and corn, served with a rich creamy gravy.
ingredients:
You will need:
- 4 Crispy chicken breast fillets, cooked and cut into strips
- 1 cup of frozen corn, unthawed
- 60g strong cheddar cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
For the cheesy mash:
- 2 pounds of floury potatoes, such as a Maris Piper, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and chopped
- 60g strong cheddar cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
- 2 TBS butter
- Warm milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the cream gravy:
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 chicken bullion cube, crushed
- 2 TBS flour
- 240ml whole milk (1 cup)
- 180ml double cream (3/4 cup heavy cream)
- salt to taste
- a generous grinding of black pepper
instructions:
How to cook Crispy Chicken with Cheesy Mash & Cream Gravy
- First make the mash. Put the potatoes in a saucepan along with the onion and add boiling salted water to cover. Simmer just until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife and then drain well. Return the hot potatoes to the pot and mash well with a potato masher. Add the butter and just enough warm milk to make them creamy. Stir in the spring onions and the cheese, mixing in well, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.
- Butter a shallow 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Spread the cheesy mash in the casserole dish. Top with the frozen corn. Sprinkle the additional cheddar cheese over top. Sprinkle the chicken strips over top of the cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until heated through and the cheese has melted.
- While the casserole is baking make the cream gravy. Heat the milk and cream together in the microwave until quite warm, but not boiling. Set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the chopped onion. Cook over medium low heat until the onion is translucent without allowing it to colour. Sprinkle with the flour. Cook for a few minutes, then whisk in the milk/cream mixture, whisking constantly. Cook until it bubbles and thickens. Crumble in the chicken stock cube and season to taste with salt and a hefty grinding of black pepper.
- Drizzle the hot cream gravy over the casserole and serve.
This was really tasty . . . creamy rich cheesy mash . . . sweet corn, crisp chicken and that peppery creamy gravy. To die for.
I thought you might be interested in knowing that I have been featured in the latest Issue of the Canadian version of Hello! magazine with a recipe spread.
I remember when I worked at the Manor down South, the housekeeper used to save me our boss's discarded Hello! magazines for me to read. I loved them. I never ever dreamt that one day some of my work would be gracing the pages. Funny how life is! Have a great day!
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 think Sole has to be one of my absolutely favourites of all the fishes in the sea. There are two types of Sole which we enjoy here in the UK, Dover Sole and Lemon Sole. Both are highly-prized, delicately flavoured fishes. Lemon Sole is slightly less expensive than Dover Sole, but in my opinion is just as delicious and that is what we enjoyed today.
My sole came from The Fish Society. The Lemon Sole comes two fillets in a package, and in a variety of sizes from small to large. Mine were medium sized. They had the skin on, which I didn't necessarily want. The skin of Sole can be quite rubbery, so I quickly removed it and disposed of it. Its very easy to do if you have a sharp knife. Just make a small cut through the flesh at the narrow end of the fish, and then, angling your knife slightly, grab hold of the skin and wiggle it through beneath the blade of your knife, pulling it gently away from the fish. I am not sure if I explained that correctly, but I found a video on YouTube that explains it perfectly. Its a lot easier to do than it is to explain!
This is really a beautiful piece of fish, and I have to say, I am always really impressed with The Fish Society and its service. Every piece of fish I have ever gotten from them has been lovely and of the highest quality.
It arrives frozen and well packed, ready for you to thaw as and when you
need it. With overnight delivery available I just unpack it and throw it right into the freezer when it arrives. Easy Peasy.
A fish as delicate and delicious as sole is deserves the simplest treatment when you are cooking it. You want to keep everything as simple as possible. You don't want strong flavours over-powering the flavour of the fish . . . and with fish this nice, the more simplistic your method of cooking the better.
One thing I love about fish is how very quickly it cooks. This cooks in about six minutes from start to finish to make sure any side dishes are ready and waiting to be served. You won't want to start cooking it until everyone is almost sat down at the table!
I seasoned my skinned fillets with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides and dusted them lightly with flour, shaking off the excess . . .
I added a knob of butter and some canola oil to a large skillet and heated it just until the butter began to foam, over moderate heat.
I threw a few sprigs of fresh thyme into the pan to flavour the butter and then applied the fish fillets, presentation side first. (Presentation side is the side of the fish you will want showing when you plate it up for service.)
You want to fry it just until it is golden brown on that side, which should take about 3 minutes, and then carefully flip it over to brown the other side.
That won't take very long either. Two to three minutes maximum. Remove it from the heat and scoop it onto a serving platter, placing some of the crisp thyme sprigs with it to adorn it and sprinkling it with some chopped fresh parsley. That's it!
You could squeeze fresh lemon on it while it is still in the pan, but I prefer to pass lemon wedges at the table for diners to squeeze onto their individual servings. This helps to maintain the crisp exterior of having fried it in butter . . . why bother if you are just going to soggy it up before you serve it?
In any case these were beautiful fillets of sole . . . perfectly cooked and golden brown. Todd enjoyed his with some roasted baby new potatoes and peas/carrots. He was in fish heaven.
Sole Fillets with Lemon & Thyme
Yield: 4
Sole is a wonderful fish, which stands out with the simplest preparation. This way its delicate flavour and texture is highlighted to the highest level. In order to keep the coating on the fish crisp for serving, I pass lemon wedges at the table rather than squeeze it over the cooked fish in the pan.
ingredients:
- 4 (6-oz) boneless, skinless sole fillets
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 70g plain flour (1/2 cup)
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 TBS flavourless oil
- several sprigs of fresh thyme
- chopped fresh parsley to sprinkle
- fresh lemon wedges to serve
instructions:
How to cook Sole Fillets with Lemon & Thyme
- Season your fish fillets on both sides with salt and black pepper. Dust with flour, patting it in and shaking off any excess.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat, until the butter begins to foam. Add the thyme sprigs. Place the fish fillets in the pan, presentation side down. Cook for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Carefully turn them over using a fish slice/spatula and brown on the second side, a further 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan to a heated serving plate.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with wedges of lemon for squeezing over top.
I enjoyed mine also with some peas and carrots, and a bit of mashed sweet potato. I do love sweet potatoes. Oh my but this was some of the best sole I have ever eaten. I found myself wondering why why don't we eat it more often than we do. It is just excellent excellent fish. Quality speaks for itself. The Fish Society
has all kinds of fish, fish that you normally won't find in the shops.
Its like having your own private fish monger on line and on tap! They
have everything from Abalone to Zander and they deliver right to your
door in a timely manner. Shell fish. Sea food. All Sashimi grade. I
have never been disappointed, as Todd says, best fish ever. You can't go wrong.
One thing I really love about the warmer months is the way our appetites
seem to turn to the eating of salads and grilled food. We crave light
and fresh, and are only to happy to indulge ourselves in this type of
food for as long as we can. And small wonder this, as we are fortunate
enough in this country to have some of the nicest local fresh
ingredients available to us in the world. Salad as a main course? In the dog days of summer you just can't go wrong in serving up a delicious salad for supper! Why not enjoy it outside on the patio. The cold wet weather will be upon us before we know it. Let us make hay while the sun shines! Here are my favourite Ten Main Dish Salad Picks for when the temperatures are rising and you just can't face cooking in a hot kitchen!
Why not make like the French and turn your home or patio into a French Bistro one night with a fabulous Salade Composé. These are my favourite kinds of salads because they are so easy to put together with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Hard boiled egg, crisp streaky bacon, sweet garden cherry tomatoes, fresh salad leaves (also from the garden if you are lucky), toasted garlic croutons and a tangy Sherry Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing complete the delicious picture!
I love the tangy dressing on this Grilled Thai Steak Salad, with it's slight sweet and sour
flavour, hot and spicy from the chilies and the sweet surprise of fresh
pineapple. It has a distinct, but not unplatable bite and a wonderful tang from the use of lime.This is another main dish salad winner. You can either grill the steak to your preference on the BBQ (my favourite) or on top of the stove in a grill pan. Of course if you have an electric grill you can also use that!
My all time favourite salad has to be the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. Back home if we were eating out in the summer months I would always choose this over my normal fish and chips. Grilled chicken, seasoned with my own Montreal Chicken Seasoning, along with crisp Cos (romaine) lettuce leaves, Streaky bacon, Crisp garlic croutons, plenty of Parmesan Reggiano Cheese and a brilliantly flavourful Caesar dressing complete the picture for a nice light supper everyone will love!
This fabulous Steak, Mushroom and Blue Cheese Salad is another supper time favourite of ours in the Summer months. I call this the holy trinity of steakdom! Steak, mushrooms and tangy blue
cheese . . . the three combined in a simple salad which tastes anything
but simple. It has a deliciously tangy and rich vinaigrette dressing . . . using sherry vinegar and honey. You get the green rich and meaty crunch of fresh baby spinach leaves . .
. the lovely flavour of the steak, the tang of capers and blue cheese .
. . rich mushrooms and a lovely vinaigrette, which when combined
together create a fabulous salad that I would be proud to even serve to company.
I adore Taco Salad, and especially this Low Fat Chicken Taco Salad! The real star of this is the dressing. It's cool and creamy and very low
in fat, which is an extra bonus! I used no fat mayo and sour cream for
mine and it turned out just wonderfully delicious with just a bit of
heat. You can control that by using more or less of the Chipolte chili
paste. (This gives it a nice smokey flavour too.) Of course if you would rather use ground beef instead of chicken you certainly could. I used battered chicken strips in this and homemade baked tortilla crisps. You won't miss any of the taste of the full fat version. This is perfect just as it is.
This Layered Cobb Salad is not only delicious but very pretty to look at as well. It has all of the elements of the infamous Cobb Salad, stacked in a tasty tower . . . crisp iceberg lettuce, rich and indulgent creamy ripe avocado . . .
ripe sweet tomatoes, sharp spring onions . . . crisp and salty bacon
and rich and tangy blue cheese. All with a deliciously creamy
dressing! Makes for a lovely luncheon dish on its own or an amazing side dish when you are entertaining. Grilled steaks or chicken would go very well along side.
Turkey, Sour Cherry & Almond Pasta Salad is what I call a really supper-time winner. The salad itself boasts the inclusion of cubed cooked turkey breast.
You could also use chicken if you don't have any turkey. Dried sour cherries provide a bit of sweet tartness with the addition of sharp red
onions, crunchy celery, salted almonds . . . and creamy tangy
Gorgonzola cheese. Bow Tie Pasta and a tangy poppy seed vinaigrette complete the picture.
Grilled Chicken & Wheatberry Salad. A colourful plate of salad greens is topped with a delicious wheatberry salad, chock full of crunch and sweetness.
Crunchy toasted walnuts and chopped celery . . . sweet dried cranberries
. . . sharp tasting spring onions, and a tangy lemon and olive oil dressing. This is topped again with a breast of chicken that has been rubbed with a
delicious mixture of spices and grilled until perfectly cooked, and
still juicy and tender. Nobody can complain about this!
If you have a delicious dressing to hand, you can build a fabulously tasty supper salad out of just what you have in the refrigerator, picky bits left over from other meals. This Tarragon, Chervil & Chive Dressing is quite simply wonderful. Creamy and delicious and filled with beautiful flavours. Here I have served it with some baby gem lettuce leaves, boiled egg, sliced cooked chicken, tenderstem broccoli,cooked baby carrots, boiled new potatoes and English Peas. Fabulously Tasty! What's in your refrigerator that you can simply throw together to make a fabulously tasty salad collation?
So there you have it! My tasty top ten picks. There is sure to be a bit of something here for everyone on your list! Get ready to chill out and dig in!
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