When I lived in Ontario, seemingly a whole lifetime ago, we often visited my then Sister in Law in Toronto. She was married to a Jewish fellow and used to bring home the most delicious bagels from a Jewish Bagel near their house on Avenue Road. These bagels were so fresh and so tasty, they completely spoilt me for every enjoying those insipid bagels you find in the shops. When you have tasted an authentic Jewish Bagel, there is nothing else that quite comes up to it.
One good thing to do with those store-bought bagels however that is quite delicious is to make Breakfast Quiche Stuffed Bagels. These are a brilliant way of enjoying quiche without all the faffing about of making pastry or a crust!
To do this, I slice the bagels in half through the middle and then scoop out any bread from the middles leaving a bit of a basil for the filling. I then start layering in my quiche ingredients.
I like to use some spring onions, chopped. A cooked sausage, chopped. Cooked bacon, chopped and of course cheese, fresh farm eggs and cream.
I layer in the onion, bacon, sausage and half the cheese and then beat the egg togeher with the cream and pour it over top, finishing it all off with the remainder of the cheese.
These then get baked until the egg mixture soufflees up into a quiche type of filling, rich and delicious.
I garnish them with some minced fresh chives. By all means you can vary the filling ingredients. Add chopped peppers if you like them.
Leave out the bacon or the sausage, or both and make them completely vegetarian. Add some smoked salmon if you are so inclined and dot in some cream cheese. Garnish with some sprigs of dill.
You really can make these your own by using whatever quiche fillings you enjoy most of all. Ham and Swiss cheese is also quite nice!
Although perfectly sized for two, this recipe is very easily doubled or tripled to feed more. This would make a great weekend breakfast when entertaining. Add some fresh juice, coffee if you are so disposed and a fresh fruit salad and you have a breakfast fit for a King!
Quiche Stuffed Bagels
Yield: 2
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time: 30 M
Easy and delicious and no pastry involved. Easily doubled to feed more if you wish
Ingredients:
- 2 plain bagels
- 1 cooked breakfast sausage, skin removed and diced
- 2 rashers of crisp cooked bacon, finely chopped
- 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
- 8 TBS grated cheddar cheese
- 3 medium free range eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 TBS heavy cream
- salt and black pepper to taste
- finely chopped chives to garnish
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Have ready a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil.
- Beat the eggs together with the cream.
- Prepare your onion, bacon, sausage and cheese.
- Cut your bagels in half through the middle. Carefully remove all of the breading in the middle of each bagel half making a hollow place to insert your filling.
- Begin by sprinkling 1/4 of the onion into each bagel half. Top with 1/4 of the sausage and the bacon. Sprinkle 1 TBS of cheese over each. Season with some salt and papper and then divide the beaten egg/cream mixture between each, pouring it over the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of each.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until set and golden brown. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve immediately.
My husband doesn't like things really crisp, but if you do want your bagels really crisp, brush them with butter and bake them for a few minutes to crisp them up prior to filling them with your desired fillings. I think you are really going to enjoy these!
I think of all the part of the chicken, the wings are my favourite part of all. There is not a lot of meat on them admittedly, but what there is, is succulent and bone sucking delicious! And these Crispy Baked Hot Wings are the most delicious of all!
They are also rather inexpensive when compared to the rest of the chicken. When I was raising five children, we would often have chicken wings for supper rather than the more expensive other parts. Ain't nobody was complaining about it either!
I would buy a couple of big packages of them and throw them into a large roasting pan, season them all over and then roast them in a hot oven until they were crispy and finger-lickingly delicious. With five children, you needed a lot of them!
Of all the kinds of chicken wing recipes that are out there, I think Hot Wings are my favourite of all. Oh I do like the Hot Wings from KFC, but these . . . I don't mind saying . . . are twice as good as those! Seriously!
No frying involved. You just trim the wings, joint them, pat them dry and then shake them with a dry seasoning mixture and bake in a hot oven . . .
Until they are golden brown and crispy tasty!
While the oven works its magic you heat some more special ingredients to create a spicy sweet sauce. I use Franks hot sauce in this. I buy it from Amazon at a premium price . . . but it is worth every penny for dishes like this.
Its just Franks and brown sugar and water . . . heated gently until the sugar completely melts.
Once the wings are done and crispy and golden . . . I toss them into this special sauce . . .
And then I pop them back into the ovn until they are nicely glazed and truly finger-licking delicious to be sure!
These are so delicious I could easily be greedy and eat them all by myself, but . . . I share.
Coz I'm nice like that. I enjoy these with some good blue cheese dressing for dipping, but I know some people prefer ranch. Whatever floats your boat!
Crispy Baked Hot Wings
Yield: 4
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 40 Mtotal time: 50 M
Crisp and delicious! I like to enjoy these with some blue cheese dressing for dipping.
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds of chicken wings, jointed and wing tips discarded
- 1 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
For the sauce:
- 60ml Franks hot sauce (1/4 cup)
- 150g soft light brown sugar (3/4 cup packed)
- 1/2 TBS water
To serve:
- Your favourite blue cheese dressing
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 225*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with a heavy sheet of aluminium foil and spray it with some non-stick cooking spray.
- Pat the chicken wings dry with some paper towel and pop them into a bowl. Mix together the remaining ingredients and sprinkle them over the wings, tossing all together to coat.
- Arrange the wings skin side up on the baking tray. Spritz with a bit of non-stick cooking spray.
- Bake in the preheated oven, turning them every 20 minutes until they are done, crisp golden brown and the juices run clear.
- Make the sauce while the wings are cooking. Measure all ingredients into a large saucepan. Stir and heat until the sugar completely dissolves. Set aside.
- Once the wings are cooked, dump them into the saucepan with the sauce. Stir to coat and then return them to the baking tray. Return to the oven for 5 minutes maximum.
- Arrange on a platter to serve and pass the blue cheese dressing if desired!
I declare, looking at these photos this morning makes me want to go out and buy some more wings and make this again. These are truly some delicious. Naughty perhaps, but very nice!
One Pan Italian Pasta. This is another small batch recipe, created for the smaller family. This recipe makes 3 normal servings or 2 generous servings, and I don't mind saying, it is absolutely delicious!
Everything cooks in the same pan. The chicken, the pasta, the sauce, everything. EVERYTHING!
No fuss, no muss! And with not a lot of clean up afterwards either!
It does call for the use of dry Italian Salad Dressing mix, but not to worry, I have provided a simple substitute for that.
I appreciate that not all people will have that available to them, and indeed I no longer have it available to me either!
It was always one of those things I kept in my kitchen as it came in very handy.
Not just as a salad dressing either (which it was amazing as by the way), but I used to use it to season my sticky chicken and popped it into my Italian Shredded Wheat bread, which we loved.
That's why I had to come up with my own version of it when it became obvious I wasn't going to be able to find it anymore.
Whew! You never know what you will miss until you can't get it anymore!
There is a quantity of fresh cherry tomatoes in this one pan supper as well.
I am not a person who is overly fond of tomato skins in my pasta, so I tend to pick them out as I am eating. Perhaps not very couth, but whatever works.
The tomatoes themselves do add a level of flavour and richness to the sauce which is quite nice.
I garnished my dish with fresh basil because I happened to have some and thought it would dress it up nicely.
See how rich that sauce looks? How it clings to all of the texture of that fusilli? Fusilli was made to hug sauce . . .
This was perfect with just the right balance of flavours. I love that the pasta cooks right in the pan, absorbing all of those lovely flavours . . .
You do need to stir it every so often to make sure that it cooks evenly and doesn't catch on the bottom. If you find at the end of the cooktime the pasta isn't quite ready, but you have not a lot of liquid left, it is quite acceptable to add a bit more stock to the pan.
Just play it by ear. If you add too much, you risk your sauce being too runny.
This was perfectly delicious. I enjoyed it very much with a salad on the side and a crusty roll. (I know naughty!)
One Pan Italian Pasta
Yield: 3
A delicious one dish entree where everything cooks in the pan. No fuss, no muss and very little clean up afterwards. You can have this on the table in about half an hour or less.
Ingredients:
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 170g dry fusilli pasta (6 ounces)
- 480ml chicken stock (2 cups)
- 1/2 envelope of dry Italian dressing mix (see below to make your own) (1 TBS)
- 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 TBS coarsely grated parmesan cheese
- 65g grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 tsp dry basil
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until they begin to soften without colouring. Stir in the chicken and garlic powder. Cook and stir until golden.
- Add the pasta, broth, dressing mix and tomatoes. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and all of the broth has evaporated. Stir frequently to make sure the pasta is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you need to add a bit more water or broth to achieve the perfect level of doneness for the pasta, that's okay. Just don't add too much. Taste and season with salt and black pepper if desired. Sprinkle with both cheeses and the dry basil. Cover and let sit for about 5 to 6 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve hot.
notes:
To make your own dry Italian Salad Dressing mix: Mix together 1 TBS garlic powder, 1 TBS onion powder, 2 TBS dry oregano, 1 TBS sugar, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dry basil, 1 TBS dry parsley, 1/4 tsp celery seed, 2 TBS salt, 1/2 tsp dehydrated minced garlic, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. To make dressing measure 2 TBS mix into a jar along with 60ml(1/4 cup) vinegar, 160ml oil (2/3 cup), and 2 TBS of water. Cover with a lid and shake to combine. For this recipe you will need 1 TBS of this mix.
Just look at the ooze of the cheese. Bear in mind as well that for the larger family, you can very easily double the ingredients It will cook in just about the same time. Dinner on the able, delicious and perfectly cooked in about 15 to 20 minutes. You can't go wrong!
Millionaires' Shortbread. I think I must have been hiding under a rock before I came here to the UK because this was something I had never heard of or experienced before coming here.
These incredibly moreish bars consist of a shortbread base, topped with a rich caramel filling and finished off with a melted chocolate topping.
This recipe I am sharing today is the best millionaires shortbread recipe. I kid you not!
I can remember it being love at first bite when I tasted these for the very first time.
Shortbread cookies have always been a favourite of mine, but topped with caramel and then chocolate? Well . . . count me in!
The recipe which I am sharing with you today comes from the Cookery by by Parragon Press, entitled Grandma's Best Recipes.
I love this book. It is filled to overflowing with lovely recipes. Everyone I have tried so far has turned out perfectly.
Also known as Caramel Shortbread, the origins of this recipe are said to be Scotland, which makes sense as shortbread is certainly a Scottish invention!
I guess you could call it Scottish Millionaires Shortbread.
The original recipe of this shortcake has certain variations. One variation includes shortbread with raisins on top and another with peanut butter instead of chocolate.
I cannot speak to what those might taste like as I have only ever tasted this version, with the caramel filling.
I have to say however a peanut butter version sounds pretty heavenly to this peanut butter loving heart.
The base goes together very quickly in a food processor.
You just bang in the ingredients, blitz and then press the mixture into a baking pan and bake.
You can be making the filling while the shortbread base bakes. Its relatively simple to make as well.
You just put everything into a saucepan and cook and stir . . . the stirring is the most tedious part . . . as it must be stirred constantly.
With its high sugar content (sweetened condensed milk, golden syrup, sugar) it can catch very easily.
It is important not to cook it over a very high heat and to stir, stir, stir it constantly to prevent this from happening.
I have heard of some people using Dulce de Leche for this filling, but I don't recommend that.
You really want to make it from scratch for it to be perfectly authentic.
Rich and caramel-like . . . sweet and lush, and also buttery, just shy of being like McIntosh's toffee bars from back home.
My ex husband used to love McIntosh's toffee. I am sure he ate one of those every day of his life almost. At least while we were married. He loved that and wine gums.
In any case, I digress. This thick caramel filling is gorgeously moreish.
Very rich however so a little bit goes a very long way.
You pour it over the shortbread base and then refrigerate it so that it sets up perfectly, ready to have melted chocolate poured over top.
The recipe just said chocolate. I used chocolate chips. They worked beautifully . . .
This is incredibly rich, which is probably why it has the name Millionaires' short bread.
The recipe said it made 12 fingers, but in all honesty I think the fingers are far too much to contemplate.
I would rather enjoy it cut into squares in which case instead of 12 servings it would make 24.
Millionaires' Shortbread
Yield: Makes 12 slices
With their buttery shortbread base, rich caramel filling and crisp chocolate topping these are destined to become a real favourite!
Ingredients:
For the shortbread base:
- 120g cold salted butter (1/2 cup)
- 175g plain flour (1 1/5 cup)
- 55g castor sugar (1/4 cup)
For the caramel filling:
- 175g butter (3/4 cup)
- 115g sugar (1/2 cup)
- 3 TBS golden syrup
- 400ml sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
For the chocolate topping:
- 200g plain chocolate, broken into pieces (1/2 pound) (I used semi sweet chocolate chips)
Instructions:
- First make the shortbread base. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square baking tin and line with paper leaving a bit of ovehang to lift it out with when totally done.
- Put all of the ingredients for the shortbread base into a food processor. Blitz until the mixture begins to bind together. Press into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
- For the filling, combine all of the filling ingredients in a saucepan. Gently heat over low heat, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to the boil and then simmer at a low bubble, stirring constantly for 6 to 8 minus until the mixture turns caramel like and becomes very thick. Pour this mixture over the shortbread base in the tin. Refrigerate until firm.
- Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over simmering water. Stir until completely melted and then pour/spread over top of the set caramel. Return to the refrigerator until completely firm.
- Cut into 12 fingers with a sharp knife to serve.
There is really no nice way to photograph these or make them look really pretty. They are what they are and that is to say incredibly delicious, and a lot easier to make than one would suppose!
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
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