I confess that lamb was not something I had ever eaten prior to moving here to the UK. My mother did cook lamb chops once when I was a teenager, but they smelled like burning mittens so none of us would eat them. I strongly suspect it was mutton and not lamb. In any case, the smell was enough to put us all off for a very long time.
My mother often spoke of a lamb stew that she had enjoyed in the hospital when she was having my brother. It was a taste memory that she carried with her all the days of her life. My brother just turned 60 last week, so that was a very long time to be thinking about what something tasted like.
I know all about that. The summer before 12th grade I went on a school exchange trip and we stayed at Carlton University in Ottawa. Each night we were taken to a restaurant in Ottawa called "The Cascade Restaurant." The very first night I ordered the Barbequed Chicken. It was so good I ordered it every night that we were there and I have been thinking about the taste of it ever since!
Taste memories can be very specific and they stick in your brain, often becoming even more delicious (or not as it were) in the memory as years go by!
My ex husband would never eat or try lamb because his father wouldn't and so it was not something I ever cooked when we were married. It was not until Todd and I got married that I took the risk of trying it.
Our church congregation had taken us out for supper at a restaurant to celebrate our marriage and there was saddle of lamb on the menu at the restaurant. I took a chance, ordered it and I have to say I fell in love with it at first bite.
This was proper lamb. British lamb. Succulent, tender and almost sweet. It was incredibly edibly delicious.
Since the I have enjoyed lamb in many ways. I do so adore a good lamb stew and I have several really delicious recipes fot that on here. This Simple Lamb Stew is beautiful and probably my favourite. Then there is my Lamb Stew with Feather Dumplings, also very good. I also have a delicious recipe for Small Batch Irish Lamb Stew which is very pleasing!
I also have several recipes for lamb chops. Spiced Lamb Chops with Roasted Roots. which has a very Indian-like feel to it. One of my favourites is Garlic Lamb Cutlets with a Mint and Sun Blush Tomato Sauce.
There are actually quite a few Lamb Recipes on this blog. You can access all of them here. Tagines and stews, and steaks, etc. All very delicious, I can assure you. These chops I am sharing today are especially delicious. They are seasoned and flash fried, and then a super simple honey, mustard and balsamic vinegar glaze is produced in the pan drippings.
They are coated in this and briefly reheated before serving. Oh but they are so delicious. Tender, perfectly cooked, and that flavourful glaze, well . . . its like manna from heaven.
Honey Mustard & Balsamic Lamb Chops
Yield: 4
These cook quickly and taste amazing. Quantities are for four but I have put quantities for two in brackets should you wish to serve a smaller family.
ingredients:
- 4 (8) lamb chops, well trimmed
- freshly ground black pepper
- fine sea salt
- light olive oil to fry
- 120ml (60ml) good balsamic vinegar (1/2 cup (1/4 cup)
- 2 (1)TBS liquid honey
- 2 (1) TBS grainy Dijon mustard
- 2 (1) cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 6 (3) sprigs of fresh rosemary
instructions:
How to cook Honey Mustard & Balsamic Lamb Chops
- Pat the lamb chops dry and season all over on both sides with salt and black pepper to taste. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard and garlic. Set aside.
- Heat a bit of oil in a large non-stick skillet along with the rosemary. Add the seasoned chops and sear well on both sides, cooking for about 2 minutes per side, or to the level of doneness you desire. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
- Add the balsamic vinegar mix to the pan and allow it to bubble up. Cook until the mixture thickens and turns sticky. Return the chops to the pan, turning to coat them in the glaze. Serve immediately.
We enjoy our lamb on the pink side. Its so juicy and tender. Today I servd it with some Dauphinoise Potatoes and Steamed Brussels Sprouts. This was a fabulous dinner! I have given quantities so you can either cook for 4 or for 2. I also like to use French trimmed loin chops. The meat is so succulent and delicious.
I have never been a good bread baker, although I have always been a great lover of bread. My ex husband made great bread.
He used to make the kitchen table dance across the kitchen floor when he was kneading it and the results were fabulous.
My mother made great bread. I can remember coming home from school and smelling it baking from outside the house. I knew we were in for a real treat even before I went inside!
Does anything on earth taste as good as a slice of fresh bread, still warm from the oven, spread with cold butter??? I think not!
What if I told you that you could bake a loaf of French Bread in less than an hour with only 5 ingredients, including the salt?
Would you believe me?
I have to say I was pretty sceptical myself. I discovered this recipe on My Mundane and Miraculous Life for an easy peasy French Bread, that made this claim.
Today I aimed to see if it could actually be done. I had my doubts.
I make pretty good door stops, but bread . . . meh. French Bread? Uh-huh . . . yeh sure.
Hmmm. I didn't hold out much hope, but I was willing to try.
I have to say I was happily proven wrong . . . this recipe produced a delicious loaf of bread in less than an hour. Seriously. And I can't find anything wrong with it.
It looks pretty much like French bread or at the very least like a good Italian bread.
It has a lovely dark crust . . . and a beautifully light texture. It might not be quite as chewy as an actual loaf of French bread but why quibble . . .
And it was done in less than an hour. Seriously! It was! And I didn't mess it up either.
I didn't put quite as much salt into it as the recipe called for. I only added about 1/2 tsp, if that. We are trying to cut back on our salt in this house.
It does use rather a lot of yeast, 1 TBS, but then again that was another secret to my ex husband's bread also. He always used more yeast than the recipe asked for.
And his bread was phenomenal. Truly phenomenal.
I just used normal yeast. Not quick yeast or bread machine yeast. I am tempted to try it again one day with quick yeast and see what the results are.
My husband was really pleased that I had made it because, one . . . it tasted so good and two . . . he forgot to pick up a loaf of bread while he was out like I had asked him to.
Men. Can't live with them, and they have brains like seives.
We both enjoyed a slice, warm from the oven and spread with some cold butter . . . and I confess . . . sweet strawberry jam.
I used Bonne Maman Intense, which uses less sugar than regular jams. More fruit. Less sugar. Sign me up!!
Oh boy but this was some good. So good that I know what I am going to have for my supper tonight . . . . yep, more bread and jam!
Quick and Easy French Bread
Yield: 1 loaf
Quick, easy and incredibly tasty. If I can make this anyone can!
ingredients:
- 360ml warm water (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 TBS honey
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 TBS dry yeast
- 350g to 450g of strong bread flour (3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups)
instructions:
How to cook Quick and Easy French Bread
- Place the water, honey and yeast in a bowl. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until it turns frothy and bubbles.
- Stir it down then add half the flour and the salt. Stir together well, and then start adding the remaining flour, kneading it in until you have a dough that is not sticky and smooth.
- Shape into a loaf and place onto a baking paper lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/gas mark 6.
- Cut slashes in top of the loaf and then bake it in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Don't take my word for how good this is. Bake some for yourself. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!
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!
Small Batch Cherry Cheesecake. My mother, God bless her, loved cheesecake. It was one of her favourite desserts. She was only the size of a bird, so tiny that a good breeze could have easily blown her over, but she did like to eat.
I don't know what her secret was to keeping her slim figure. I remember her asking me about seven or 8 years back did I have a good cheesecake recipe. I did and so I shared it with her. I don't know if she ever made it or not. I like to think that she did, and that she enjoyed it.
Of course with her lung cancer operation and all of the complications she had afterwards, her days of cooking were pretty much over, although by all counts she did have a fairly healthy appetite right up until she passed.
Her tastes had changed however and the things she liked to eat before, she no longer enjoyed. Funny how that goes. I suppose it was the dementia.
Cheesecake is not something I make really often. With there only being two of us, a full-sized cheesecake just is not practical anymore.
I will sometimes buy two slices in the shops, but they never live up to their promise. That's all I will say about that.
I once bought a frozen Cheesecake Factory one at Costco and that was very good. It was already cut into slices that you could just take out and eat as and when you wanted them.
But it was huge and cheesecake is something we only want once in a very blue moon, so again, highly impractical as I ended up giving most of it away. You can't keep these things in the freezer forever.
This quick, easy and delicious baked cheesecake recipe I am sharing with you today ends all of those problems. It is the perfect size for the smaller family!
You bake it in a 9-inch X 5-inch loaf tin. It cuts perfectly into 6 smallish wedges. I say smallish, but really they are all any one person really needs to be eating of such a rich dessert.
A delicious swirl of tart dark cherry preserves is baked into the cheesecake . . . I used an Italian brand. (Crosta & Mollica) It has lovely big bits of cherry in it, and I don't find it to be overly sweet.
If you don't like cherries, you could use peach jam, or blueberry jam . . . strawberry, raspberry . . . any kind of jam you want or desire.
I think you could even use lemon curd if you wanted to . . . now THAT would be extremely dangerous for me.
My husband might not even get a look in, I am that greedy when it comes to lemon. Sad but true.
It works out fine however because he isn't really fond of lemon anything so he doesn't really mind if I snuffle up all the lemon goodies.
Anyways, back to this dessert. Its gorgous. Its simple to make. It is quick to make.
And it is just the right size for us. If I had some sour cream I would have topped it with some and it would have been even better.
If you are a smaller family looking for a tasty dessert, or even if you are a normal sized family wanting something that isn't going to be hanging around for days, I hazard to guess that this dessert would be perfect for you.
Yield: 6 smallish servings
Small Batch Cherry Cheesecake
All of the lush deliciousness of a full sized version, but with less temptation to resist.
ingredients:
For the crust:
- 160g digestive biscuit crumbs (fine) (1 cup graham cracker crumbs)
- 60g butter, melted (1/4 cup)
For the filling:
- 16 ounces (1 pound) FULL fat cream cheese
- 95g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1 large free range egg, beaten lightly
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 9 tsp good quality dark cherry preserves
instructions:
How to cook Small Batch Cherry Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin and line with parchment paper, leaving extra on the sides to lift it out.
- Mix together the crumbs and butter. Press into the bottom of the loaf tin evenly.
- Whisk together the cream cheese, egg, vanilla an sugar until smooth. Pour into the loaf tin on top of the crumbs. Add the cherry preserves in spoonfuls on top of the batter and then using a skewer, carefully swirl it.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. The centre will be almost set, but still have a slight wiggle. The top should be firm. Cool for an hour in the pan then lift out and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hour or overnight.
- Cuts into 6 small wedges.
We are supposed to have a nice weekend weatherwise this weekend. Here's hoping! Our back garden s squelching and we could use a few dry and sunny days to dry it out so that we can mow! Happy weekend everyone!
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.
One thing I will freely admit and that is that the potato is my favourite vegetable. I could live without bread if I had to, and steak, but I don't think I would be happy going for very long without a potato. Its just not possible.
I love them in any way shape or form. I do have my favourite ways of course, but generally speaking if potatoes are involved I am all in.
I cannot imagine anyone not loving potatoes or even liking them, although I do know it happens. My oldest daughter for instance. She says she doesn't like potatoes.
She does however like potato chips, french fries, cheesy potato skins, hashbrowns . . . potato sticks. You get the picture.
She only likes "BAD" potatoes or potatoes infused with fat. She makes me laugh. I can't say that I blame her. I am awfully fond of those things also!
I found a recipe in a cookbook of mine put out by the people at Cooking Light. Fresh Food, Fast Weeknight Meals. It was for a potato side dish. It sounded awfully good.
Unfortunately half the stuff required was not really available here in the UK, or I didn't know what it was. So I did what any good cook would do.
I adapted it to what I could find, which with this recipe meant that it was pretty much a brand new recipe.
Oh well, I guess you can say it was inspired by them.
I also made it to serve only 3 people, or two hungry ones.
Their recipe called for prechopped pepper and onion mix. I didn't have any of those, but I did have onions and peppers.
So I chopped my own. It also called for refrigerated sliced potatoes. I have never seen those. I have no idea if they are already cooked or what????
I used what I had, which was raw potato, that I peeled and thinly sliced. It also called for fat reduced jalapeno cheddar. We don't have that either.
Instead I added a chopped jalapeno pepper to the onion/pepper mix and sauteed them lightly, and I used a strong cheddar.
Because I was using raw potatoes, I added a bit of vegetable stock. Just to make sure that the potatoes cooked.
It went together very easily and quickly. It did take a bit longer than their suggested bake time.
So I strongly suspect that their potatoes were at least demi cooked.
Altogether I was very pleased with the way this turned out. It was deliciously, cheesy, almost creamy with tender pieces of potato and a nice bit of a bite from the use of the jalapeno pepper. I call this a win!
Jalapeno & Cheese Potato Bake
Yield: 3
No doubt about it, this delicious potato casserole is destined to become a favourite.
ingredients:
- 1/2TBS butter
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced bell peppers (green, yellow, red)
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, trimmed, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 3 medium red potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper
- 120g grated strong cheddar cheese
- 120ml hot vegetable broth/stock (1/2 cup)
- chopped parsley or coriander to sprinkle (optional)
instructions:
How to cook Jalapeno & Cheese Potato Bake
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/gas mark 6. Lightly grease a shallow 5 by 8 inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the peppers, jalapeno pepper and onion. Cook for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for five minutes longer.
- Season the potato slices with the salt and pepper and then start layering them in the baking dish as follows: 1/3 of the potatoes, 1/2 of the bell pepper mixture, 1/3 of the cheese. Top with another third of the seasoning potatoes, the remaining pepper mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Top with the last of the potatoes and the cheese. Pour the vegetable stock into the dish.
- Cover tightly with foil and then bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the casserole is golden brown. Sprinkle with the parsley or coriander and serve.
This is a great potato side dish that would go with most things. Meatloaf, chicken, fish, pork. I can't think of anything that wouldn't go with it actually! I think Meatloaf would go the best though! Just saying!
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