Most men are real meat and potatoes people. My father is, all my sons are, and so are my grandsons also!
My husband is also a real meat and potatoes fan. He could quite happily have meat and potatoes every night of the week and never tire of it! He especially loves pork chops or sausages!
They have beautiful sausage here in the UK. They have nasty ones as well (think cheap and filled with lots of fillers, pasty textured, blecch). But I think that is the same anywhere.
If you are open to paying a bit more, there are loads of beautiful sausages you can buy for your family. Beautiful sausages which are meaty and flavourful with lovely skins that snap when you bite into them!
In my opinion a good sausage will contain at least 70% of good quality meat with the remainder being seasonings, fat (you need fat in a good sausage) and rusks or bread crumbs.
I have had really low fat sausages and have always found them to be hard and dry. You need a bit of fat in a sausage or why bother to have one!
Fat adds flavour and is a part of what makes them succulent and delicious.
Here in the UK there are literally hundreds of different kinds/flavours of sausage. Most butchers will have their own speciality sausages.
The butcher who used to be down at the Parade where I live had gorgeous ones. Sadly he closed down a few years back. He just couldn't compete with the big grocery shops I think, which was a real shame.
There is nothing nicer than a well made Butchers sausage. Well worth every penny. Most areas in the UK also have their speciality sausages as well, such as Gloucester, Cumberland, Lincolnshire, Manchester, Oxford, Yorkshire, etc.
They even have square sausage known as the Lorne Sausage, generally composed of pork and beef and served cut into slices. It comes from Scotland.
I have seen it at Costco, and been tempted to buy, but haven't tried it as of yet. It would be great in sandwiches I think!
You can get apple and leek sausages, leek sausages, mustard and caramelised onion, Stilton and cranberry, etc. There is really no end to the variety out there!
The world literally is your oyster when it comes to choice in the British sausage!
My favourites are Cumberland. They are nicely spiced and peppery. You can get them in links or coiled up (Catherine Wheels).
The best are found right in Cumbria itself. I remember buying beautiful ones for our supper when we were staying up there one year. My taste buds still tingle when I think of them! They were so delicious!
Yes, I am a foodie through and through and the food we get to eat and try when we are on holiday is (truth be told) has always been the best part of any holiday for me!
To me, not tasting the food of a place you are visiting is a bit of a sacrilege! Food and culture just go together like peas and carrots!
This is a very autumnal recipe I am sharing here with you today. Hearty, rich and comforting. This is a real belly warmer!
Family pleasing. Man pleasing.
You begin with plump, perfectly browned fabulously flavoured sausages.
These are braised in a beautifully flavoured gravy. A rich and lush gravy. A can-I-have-just-one-more-spoonful kind of a gravy!
Filled with the flavours of earthy and oniony leeks and tart cooking apples. With sweet apple juice and sharp grainy mustard.
This is combined with the smokiness of bacon and those rich flavours from the sausages.
Altogether this is a fabulously tasty dish. Hearty and beautifully flavoured. You really can't go wrong.
I think you are about to fall in love with this beautiful dish. Prepare yourself!
Yield: 4
Braised Sausages with an Apple Gravy
Proper delicious bangers braised with leeks, apple and apple juice for a hearty autumn supper. Perfect served with fluffy mash and a vegetable on the side.
ingredients:
- 2 tsp light olive oil
- 8 fat good quality pork sausages (I like Cumberland)
- 1 medium leek, trimmed and washed
- 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped
- 300ml cloudy apple juice (1 1/4 cup sweet apple cider)
- 1 large cooking apple (I used Bramley)
- 2 TBS grainy mustard
instructions:
How to cook Braised Sausages with an Apple Gravy
- Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet which has a tight fitting lid. Add the sausages and cook, turning frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown all over. Remove and set aside.
- Trim the leek, removing and discarding any dark green parts. Slit down one side and rinse well, making sure any grit or dirt is gone. Cut into 3 inch lengths and then slice the lengths into 1/4 inch strips. Return the skillet to the heat and add the leeks and bacon pieces. Stir fry for 5 to 6 minutes, until the leeks have softened and the bacon is cooked. Return the sausages to the pan and pour on the apple juice. Cover tightly and braise over low heat for 30 minutes over low heat.
- Peel and core the apple. Dice into 1/4 inch dice. Add to the pan, scattering it around the sausages. Cover and cook for a further 15 minutes on low, or until the apple has softened and begins to break down, and the pan juices have thickened. If you think the pan juices are too thick add some more apple juice.
- Stir in the grainy mustard and heat through. Serve immediately with lots of fluffy mashed potatoes and your favourite vegetables on the side.
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Don't be tempted to use a sweet eating apple in this. You really want a tart cooking apple to offset the sweetness of the apple juice. This is just perfect . . . absolutely. We enjoyed it with fluffy hot mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.
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 Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I've been pretty laid out with my back this past couple of weeks and have not really been cooking anything new for the most part.
The pain has been pretty bad, but finally today I feel like I have begun to turn the corner somewhat and so I decided to do a new recipe to share on here. Lemon Splits!
It's okay if you don't know what they are. I had never heard of them either before I moved here to the UK. I have always loved Lemon flavoured anything.
Those lemon puff cookies were my favourite when I was growing up. Buttery lemon flavoured crackers put together with lemon icing. If you are a lemon aficionado you will know exactly the ones I mean!
I discovered these Lemon Splits in the grocery shop about a year or so ago. What they are is plain Welsh Cakes, without the spice and raisins, put together with a layer of lemon curd in the middle. My goodness but they are some tasty.
They don't always have them in the shops however so it is hit and miss as to if you can find them or not. I looked for a recipe online but couldn't find one anywhere.
I decided to take the bull by the horns and create my own. I have made Welsh Cakes in the past. You can find that recipe here.
Welsh cakes are really good. They are like a cross between a pastry and a scone in my opinion. Buttery with a short texture and oh so tasty, especially when served with a hot bevvie!
They are a very traditional Welsh teatime treat and you will find them all over Wales. They are extremely good I have to say.
All of the teatime treats in the British Isles are extremely good. They know how to bake good things!
So what I did was make Welsh Cakes, without the spice or the raisins . . .
Just plain . . . flour, butter, sugar and an egg. You might need to add a bit of milk to the dough, but my dough was perfect without it.
In fact I had to generously dust my board and pin with flour or it would have stuck too much.
I baked them on my Pampered Chef Griddle pan. You need to heat it so that its not scalding hot and not too cool.
You can use a heavy based non-stick skillet as well. The important thing to remember is to not have it too hot, or the outside will brown too quickly and they won't be done inside.
I heated mine over medium low and once it was heated I turned it down to low. This worked well for me, about 2 to 3 minute per side did the trick.
I knew it was time to flip them over when they started looking a bit puffy on top and were golden brown on the bottom.
When they were done they were golden brown on both sides and the edges looked dry. That's the best that I can explain it.
You can of course make your own lemon curd to fill these from scratch and I have a darn good recipe that you can find here.
But a really good quality store bought one works just fine also and sometimes that's all we have time for!
These are perfect! We both enjoyed them very much, even the "so-called lemon hater". Methinks he doth protest too much personally!
He scarfed two down right away no problemo! If you really don't like lemon, these would be awfully nice sandwiched together with your favourite jam as well.
Ohh, black currant jam or jelly would be lovely!
Yield: Makes 12 to 14
Lemon Splits
prep time: cook time: total time:
Traditional Welsh Cakes without the raisins, sandwiched together with lemon curd. Don't worry if you don't have a griddle or hot stone to cook them on, they will cook perfectly find in a skillet with a heavy base.
ingredients:
- 225g self rising flour (1 1/2 cups + 2TBS)
- 110g salted butter (1/2 cup minus 1 tsp)
- 85g caster sugar (7 TBS)
- 1 medium free range egg
- Milk (if needed)
- flour to dust the cutting board
- butter to grease the griddle (optional)
- good quality lemon curd to fill
instructions:
How to cook Lemon Splits
- Sift the flour into a bowl. Drop in the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine dry bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar with a fork. Beat the egg and stir it into the mixture to form a ball of dough, adding a splash of milk if you need it. (I did not need it.)
- Generously flour a board and then tip the dough out onto it, also generously flouring the dough. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a 2 1/2 inch round fluted cutter. Re-roll any scraps and cut again, until all the dough has been used up.
- Heat a heavy grill stone or non-stick griddle pan over medium low heat until fairly hot. Brush lightly with butter if desired. (I didn't use any.) Add the welsh cakes and bake them for 2 to 3 minutes on one side. They should be golden brown on the bottom. Flip them over and bake for a further 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown on the other side. Try not to have the temperature of the griddle too high or they will brown too quickly on the outside and not be cooked in the centre. ( It was my observation that they were ready to flip over when the tops looked kind of puffy.)
- Remove from the pan with a spatula to a wire rack to cool.
- To make the lemon splits, sandwich two together with lemon curd in the centre. You can dust with some icing sugar to serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Did you make this recipe?
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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
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
If you have been reading my blog for a while now you will know that pretty much once a week, I share a recipe over on the Chef Knives Expert site! To finish off October I am sharing a Moist & Spicy Toffee Apple Cake recipe! Yes, I HAVE saved the best for last this month!
You are going to adore this fabulously tasty cake. It is a very simple cake to bake and uses very simple ingredients that most of us have in our kitchens most of the time. Fresh eggs, butter, apples, flour, syrup, brown sugar and flour . . . and of course a special blend of warm baking spices.
Along with this fabulous recipe I share my best tips on how to line a round deep cake tin properly and easily with baking paper!
I also share how to make those very pretty apple crisps that decorate the top of the cake . . . and a very simple sticky toffee icing that you will want to double, its just so tasty!
If you are a fan of moist, spicy and delicious cakes, topped with rich creamy and moreish sticky toffee sauce . . . decorated prettily with apple crisps, then wait no longer!
You can find THE RECIPE for this fabulously tasty cake on Chef Knive's Expert now.
This is the perfect cake for any autumnal gatherings you may be planning, Halloween, Bonfire Night, Thanksgiving. You are sure to love it and who wouldn't! Moist cake, sticky toffee icing and beautiful flavours! Go now! Quick, easy and delicious! Its always my promise to you! You don't get much better than this!
With the Christmas Holidays just around the corner I was recently contacted and asked would I like to try the GRADZ Bakery line of Christmas Goodies. I said yes of course. I had the opportunity to try their line of wonderful breads earlier this year so I fully expected that I would enjoy these just as much.
The line consists of a Limited Edition of Stollen Twist and a Gingerbread, both of which will be available from 2 weeks before Christmas, at £6 each via Ocado, the online grocery shop or select Deli's across the UK.
GRADZ Gingerbread is the essential taste of Christmas, consisting of a light, spiced sponge which has been filled with a sharp, fresh tasting layer of blended berries and fruit in the centre. It is really delicious. It has a glossy, soft, dark chocolate fondant on top, along with some snowflake decorations. This cake is perfect partner to a hot drink, or to be enjoyed after dinner as a sweet treat.
One word for this. DELICIOUS! We both have really enjoyed this and I think you will too!
The other item is a Stollen Twist. The Stollen Twist is a traditional German sweet bread. It is light and generously filled with marzipan and dried fruit, citrus peel and just the right amount of cinnamon for a truly festive treat.
As you can see the cinnamon sugar coating is very generous!
I was slightly disappointed when I first cut into it. The Marzipan filling, which is one of my favourite parts of stollen was somehow mis-placed along the outside of one edge of the stollen I received.
I had to cut well into the centre of it to find it inside the bread, and even then it was more placed to the side than the centre.
But it was very moist and delicious. I could not fault it. Nor could I fault the flavour of the bread.It was filled with lovely bits of vine fruits and citrus peel and spice. The cinnamon sugar coating was perfect and quite generous.
It truly was delicious despite most of the marzipan in mine being on the outside rather than the centre. Very much enjoyed with a hot cup of herbal tea, and I can imagine it would be nice with a glass of sherry if you were so inclined.
A ‘natural mother dough’ created 15 years ago has been the source for the sourdough breads ensuring no starter mix is added. The name of the bakery comes from their names - Gabriel Romuald Agnes DamaZ.
Agnes Gabriel-Damaz says: “We are so excited to feature these festive treats in Ocado this year. They are made with the same love and care and traditional recipes as our breads and bring a real feeling of Christmas with their unique combination of spices, fruits and seeds. I am proud of how delicious they are!” GRADZ believes good food takes time to prepare and by hand-crafting their continental style bread they allow you to experience the smell and taste of warm bread fresh from the family oven.
They will be made available for purchase 2 weeks prior to Christmas. Many thanks to GRADZ for sending me some of their Christmas treats to try out early!
Note: although I was sent these baked goods free of charge to try out, I was not required to write a positive review in exchange. Any and all opinions are my own.
Do you remember the crock pot tacos I made the other day? I know . . . so, so, SO tasty. I did end up with a bit of leftover beef however!
I hate waste in my kitchen, so I went on a search as to how to use it
up. I wanted something different than what I have done in the past. I love hash and I love fried rice, but I have done them to death I think.
I noticed a recipe for a Cheesy Taco Pasta on Carlsbad Cravings. It looked rather good and since my meat had been slightly infused with Tex Mex flavours to begin with, I decided to go with it and let it inspire me.
And I literally did use it for inspiration only. I took it in a slightly different direction. Of course you could just use a pound of raw ground beef mince for this if you liked. But I hate waste and so I went with my leftover cooked beef.
My mom always said I could make the toe of an old boot taste good. I guess that is one of my talents. I have always been able to make leftovers taste brand new.
This was spicy and cheesy and rich, rich, rich. I didn't have any enchilada sauce, but I didn't let that stop me.
I used a TBS of MILD chili powder in its place along with the juice of a lime for flavour, oh and 2 TBS of tomato puree.
If you don't have mild chili powder, then use an additional TBS of the Taco seasoning.
The lime juice added a nice touch. Not overly tart, but lime goes so very well with Tex Mex flavours!
I also changed out the cheeses. She used Mozzarella and cheddar. I chose to use a four cheese blend (because that is what I had) and strong cheddar, with excellent results!
I also added some frozen mixed pepper strips for colour, but also for some fibre. I like to get extra veg into our diet however I can!
I mixed the two cheeses together and stirred 2/3 of the mixture into the cooked pasta and
sauce . . . and the rest I scattered over top to melt. I thought it turned out lovely . . . the sauce was rich and creamy . . . and just spicy enough.
This was really lovely. I am thinking it would be lovely another time with ground meat. I also think it would work with leftover pork or chicken as well, changing out the beef stock for chicken stock.
Cheesy Taco Bow Ties
Yield: 6
A fabulously tasty recipe I adapted from another site to help me use up some leftover cooked beef.
ingredients:
- 1 pound chopped leftover cooked beef
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 TBS Taco Seasoning
- 1 TBS mild chili powder (optional)
- 950ml beef broth (4 cups)
- the juice of one lime
- 1 cup frozen pepper strips
- 1/2 pound uncooked pasta (mafalda, fusilli, penne, rotini or elbow) (I used bow ties)
- 2 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
- 260g grated four cheese blend (2 cups)
- 130g grated strong cheddar cheese (1 cup)
- chopped parsley to sprinkle on top (optional)
instructions:
How to cook Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the beef and onions. Cook for several minutes until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the garlic and taco seasoning and chili powder if using. Cook for a few minutes longer and then add the broth, lime juice, dry pasta, pepper strips and Tomato Puree.
- Bring to the boil and then reduce to a bubbling simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring it occasionally to help prevent the pasta from sticking. At the end of that time the pasta should be tender and most of the liquid should e absorbed.
- Mix together both cheeses. Stir 2/3 of it into the pasta. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. Leave to sit while the cheese melts then serve immediately, with parsley sprinkled on top.
Did you make this recipe?
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I splashed some Green Tabasco sauce over mine as I love the stuff. This was a really delicious one pan meal. Todd enjoyed crusty bread with his. Pasta is not exactly his favourite meal, but he felt this was quite tolerable. (He makes me laugh!)
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