I know I am in quarantine but I still want to be clean. Just drop some off at the door. I can clean. My bathroom sink is looking pretty disgusting after a week! I have nothing to scrub it with.
For todays recipe I looked into my freezer, refrigerator and cupboard. I had a package of cooked brown basamati rice. A cooked chicken breast.
I also had some fresh carrots, cauliflower and kale. Spring onions and garlic as well. And from the freezer, some frozen green beans.
I also have milk in the refrigerator and Dijon mustard. Plus my sister brought me some rosemary from her garden the other day. I thought I would do a stir fry, using up those things.
A stir fry with pot pie flavours. Obviously if I had a few more herbs I would use them, but rosemary is what I have. Thyme would also be very good.
We loved pot pies when we were growing up. My mom made the best pot pies. She could make a pot pie out of anything and we loved them.
Most of the time any leftovers from a roast dinner got put into a pot pie. Gravy. Meat. Vegetables. We absolutely adored them.
There is no crust in this, but it did embody a lot of the flavours of a pot pie. If I had cream I would have used it instead of milk for an extra touch of richness, but one must use what one must use.
If you have regular onions, by all means use them. I don't. Spring onions are not overly oniony in comparison, but they did give a touch of onion flavour.
The size of the stir fry was very generous. I had enough for two generous helpings. You could vary the vegetables according to what you have, as well as the herbs.
I also added celery which I forgot to mention above. Celery goes very well in things like this, I have to say.
Its a fried rice dish with a different flavour. No soy sauce here. Just milk and Dijon.
Overall it worked. I was really happy with the results. Its surprising what you can come up with when push comes to shove.
This is the kind of cookery I really enjoy. Creating something from nothing and not a lot!
I call it cooking by the seat of your pants. Nigel Slater style I guess. That's how he cooks.
I will be glad when my jet lag is over. I am feeling really tired today and quite unwell. Not covid, no temperature, just tired.
Chicken Pot Pie Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 cooked chicken breast, cubed
- 1/2 TBS olive oil
- 1 package (2 serving size) of cooked brown rice
- 1 small carrot peeled and diced
- 1 large cauliflower floret, broken into smaller bits
- 1 leaf of kale, trimmed and cut into shreds
- a small handful of frozen green beans, diced
- 2 sprig onions, sliced
- 1/4 tsp mixed herbs or rosemary, snipped
- 1/2 cup milk (120ml)
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a largish non-stick skillet. Add all of the vegetables and the chicken. Cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables are crispy tender.
- Whisk the milk and mustard together along with the herbs.
- Crumble the rice over the chicken mixture. Pour the milk mixture over top. Give it all a good stir.
- Cover and heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Serve hot!
This is fun! I just love using my imagination and stretching my abilities! I will have to get my sister to pick me up a few more things as I am running low on certain things. It really helps if you have someone to do that for you!
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!
Ingredients
8 ripe figs
Honey
75g butter (scant 1/3 cup)
Pinch Maldon Salt
Method
1. Cut the figs in half.
2. Heat your butter on a low to medium heat add your figs and cook until soft.
3. Drizzle over the honey.
4. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add a pinch of Maldon salt.
6. Serve on its own or with some yogurt and granola chunks.
Ingredients
4 ripe peaches or plums (or both)
Honey
75g butter (scant 1/3 cup)
Pinch Maldon Salt
5 to 6 springs of Thyme
Method
1. Cut the peaches/plumes into halves and remove the stones.
2. Heat your butter on a low to medium heat add your peaches/plums and cook until slightly soft.
3. Drizzle over the honey and add the Thyme.
4. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add a pinch of Maldon salt.
Serve on its own or with some yogurt and granola chunks.
Why not go old school with a delicious bowl of porridge oats! Comforting and hearty this is the perfect way to get your day off to a beautiful start. Especially if you add some fresh fruit, a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of either maple syrup or honey!
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
50g porridge oats (2/3 cup)
350ml milk or water, or a mixture of the two (scant 1 1/2 cups)
Greek yoghurt thinned with a little milk and Clear honey, to serve
Pinch of Maldon Salt
1. Put 50g porridge oats in a saucepan, pour in 350ml milk or water and sprinkle in a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring from time to time and watching carefully that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
2. Or you can try this in a microwave. Mix the porridge oats, milk or water and a pinch of salt in a large microwave proof bowl, then microwave on High for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Leave to stand for 2 minutes before eating.
3. To serve, pour into bowls, spoon Greek yogurt, thinned with a little milk, on top and drizzle with honey and a pinch of Maldon salt.
Ingredients
135g plain flour (scant 1 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
Half tsp Maldon salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
130ml milk (generous 1/2 cup)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp melted butter for cooking
To serve – blueberries & maple syrup
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a large bowl. In a separate bowl or jug, lightly whisk together the milk and egg, then whisk in the melted butter.
2. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a fork, beat until you have a smooth batter. Any lumps will soon disappear with a little mixing. Let the batter stand for a few minutes.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter. When it’s melted, add a ladle of batter (or two if your frying pan is big enough to cook two pancakes at the same time). It will seem very thick but this is how it should be. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown and the pancake has risen to about 1cm/½in thick.
4. Repeat until all the batter is used up. You can keep the pancakes warm in a low oven, but they taste best fresh out the pan.
5. Serve with maple syrup, blueberries and a pinch of Maldon!
*POTATO AND CHORIZO HASH*
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 large onion
1 clove of garlic
120 g quality chorizo
2-3 cooked potatoes
1/2 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
Olive oil
3 to 4 large Clarence Court eggs
100g cherry tomatoes (1/2 cup)
2 spring onions
Maldon Salt
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.
2. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, chop the chorizo, dice up the
cooked potato and pick and finely chop the parsley.
3. Gently fry the onion and garlic in a little oil in an ovenproof pan until
the onion is soft. Add the chorizo and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, add the cherry tomatoes and cook
for another minute. Crack the eggs on top.
5. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes, or until the
egg white is set but the yolk is still runny.
6. Sprinkle with Maldon salt, black pepper, spring onions and
parsley, to serve.
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
3 large Clarence Court eggs
Olive oil
Black pepper
Maldon Salt
4 to 5 sage leaves
Method
1. Heat a pan over medium heat, add the oil and after 1 minute crack in the
eggs.
2. lay the sage leaves on top and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Add a pinch of Maldon salt and black pepper.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove sliced
Small bunch of coriander
2 cans cherry tomatoes (14 oz or 400g each)
1 tsp caster sugar
3-4 eggs
100g spinach (couple large handfuls)
pinch Maldon Salt
Method
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan that has a lid, soften the onions, chilli,
garlic and coriander for 5 minutes until soft.
2. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar, then
bubble for 8-10 mins until thick. Stir in the spinach and coriander and cook
for another minute.
3. Using the back of a large spoon, make dips in the sauce, then crack an egg
into each one. Put a lid on the pan, then cook over a low heat for 6-8 minutes,
until the eggs are done to your liking.
4. Add a pinch of Maldon and serve with crusty bread!
Of course people do enjoy a good cold bevvie with their holiday brunches. Myself I like a cold glass of juice, but if you are one who enjoys acohol, nothing is nicer than a Bloody Mary or a tasty Margarita!
Ingredients
Large handful of ice
100ml vodka (scant 1/2 cup)
500ml tomato juice (2 1/4 cups)
1 tbsp lemon juice, plus 2 slices to serve
Few shakes Worcestershire sauce
Few shakes Tabasco
Pinch Maldon Smoked Salt
Pinch black pepper
2 celery sticks, to serve
Method
1.Place the ice in a large jug. Measure the vodka, tomato juice and lemon juice
and pour it straight onto the ice.
2. Add 3 shakes of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco (or more if you like it very spicy) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until the outside of the jug feels cold, then strain the cocktail into 2 tall glasses.
3. Top up with fresh ice, add a celery stick and lemon slice to both glasses and enjoy.
Optional – wet the glass with a lime wheel, dip the glass in Maldon Smoked Salt to get a nice smoky edge!
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
30 ml Cointreau (3 TBS cup)
50 ml Tequila Scant 1/4cup)
20 ml fresh lime (2 TBS)
1 lime wedge
Ice cubes
Maldon Salt
Method
1. Chill your glass…Put all the ingredients and a lot of ice into your shaker.
2. Shake for 30 seconds to get your mix really cold.
3. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip the rim into the Maldon salt to get a nice salty edge.
4. Strain the mix into your glass and enjoy.
Many thanks to the people at Maldon for putting together these gorgeous brunch recipes – all perfect with a pinch of Maldon Salt of course! They are all simple to make from home. The perfect treat during lockdown and heading into Christmas and New Year.
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!
(Sorry having problems getting all the fonts to line up today!)
Its that time of year again. Time for the holidays. To that end I am offering up my cookbooklet again, entitled A Thanksgiving Primer.
A concise cumulation of my 40 odd years of experience at cooking
Thanksgiving Dinners for family, friends, employers . . . and all that I
have to share about doing it right, and with confidence, with no fail
recipes and the right tools.
54 pages of knowledge, with colour pictures and art. With hints, tips
and recipes for everything from kitting out your kitchen to what to do
with the leftovers when you are finished and all is said and done. The
only thing I can't do for you is cook it and clean it up!
Offered now at the Holiday price of only $6, which is a $3 saving
off of the normal price of my other cookbooklets. I really think you
will be pleased with this Primer. I've been working really hard at
getting it out here in time for you to be able to use it for
your Thanksgiving this year.
It will come to you as a downloadable PDF file, which I will personally
e-mail to you. I promise that all will be mailed within 24 hours of
your payment clearing, which allows for the differences in time between
North America and here in the UK. You will need to have the latest
version of Adobe Reader enabled on your computer or device and you will
also need to have my e-mail in your safe mail folder. (mariealicejoan
at aol dot com)
Many thanks for looking! Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Cooking!
Note: All digital purchases are non-refundable
I wanted to share another Quarantine Recipe with you today. This one is for Pretzel Baked Pork Chops. I have to say it is simple to make, quick and incredibly delicious!
My sister brought me over some pork chops and bangers yesterday. So I decided to freeze one chop and the bangers and cook one chop for my dinner today. My sister and father are so good to me. I am so blessed.
I had in my cupboard a bag of pretzels. I like pretzels. Salty and crisp they are a favorite snack of mine. I used to like eating them with Cool Aid (a North American children's drink) but I don't do that anymore.
I like to think I have grown up. 😊 At least a little bit anyways!
I had Dijon mustard in the refrigerator and some Orange Juice. I got my thinking gear in action and this is what I came up with.
I have to say I was really pleased with the results.
I don't think cooking like this is very hard. This is especially if you have a bit of experience, and if you have a good knowledge of flavours that work well together.
My sister had also brought me some fresh rosemary from her garden. What to do . . . what to do.
I recalled this Pork Chop Recipe I had for Oven Baked Breaded Chops.
Its an old, old recipe from the 1950's that I got from out of one of my mother's old cookery books many years ago. The Martha Logan Meat Cookbook. I thought it would work very well with just a few adaptations.
She did her best. I can't fault her. I think everyone over-cooked their pork in those days! It was just the way you did it. For safety purposes. YOU still don't want to cook it so its rare, but a little pink is okay.
These days our pork is much leaner, much cleaner and much healthier. There is no need to overcook it anymore!
I wanted them to stay nice and moist, but I also wanted a crisp coating. The Dijon did exactly what I wanted it to.
I sprinkled a bit of pepper on top of the Dijon and some of the rosemary my sister had brought to me from her garden.
You don't need any salt, there is enough in the pretzels. Pork and mustard go very well together, so does pork and rosemary.
Mustard also goes very well with Pretzels! I truly was inspired. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I put the pretzels into a baggie and bashed them with the side of a tin of baked beans. You don't want to bash them really fine. DO leave a bit of texture.
I need to have my kitchen scissors. I use them for everything. Snipping fat. Snipping herbs. Spatchcocking birds, etc. They have come in very handy here in my room.
There are no sharp knives, so I have been using them to chop spring onions, cut potatoes, etc. Necessity being the mother of invention and all that.
You spread, season, herb, sprinkle the crushed pretzels on one side of the chops, dot with butter and place them into the baking dish. I poured in orange juice just to come halfway up the sides of the chop.
Then I baked them in a medium high oven. Just for about fifteen minutes. After that time you carefully flip them over and repeat the mustard, pepper, rosemary and crushed pretzels.
Pretzel Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 1 bone in pork chop per person
- black pepper
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 TBS of crushed pretzels per chop
- butter to dot
- orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Line a large shallow baking tray with foil and lightly grease the foil. Onto the baking sheet place as many chops are you are wanting to serve. Obviously if you are only cooking one or two you will want a smaller baking tray.
- Slash the fatty edge of each chop, Spread the top with Dijon and dust lightly with black pepper.
- Place into the baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the rosemary. Sprinkle a tablespoon of pretzel crumbs evenly over top of each one. Dot with butter.
- Pour orange juice into the baking tray evenly around the chops, trying not to disturb the crumbs on top. It should come up about half way.
- Place the tray into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, checking to make sure the apple juice does not boil dry in the pan. Once the crumbs have begun to brown on top, remove the pan from the oven.
- Carefully turn each chop over without disturbing the crumb topping and repeat the process for seasoning and crumbing on the underside. If you need more juice in the pan, once again pour it around the chops.
- Return the pan to the oven and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until nicely browned on top and the juices have thickened into a bit of a sauce.
- Check every 10 minutes or so to make sure the pan is not going dry and top up with more juice if need be. Serve hot with some of the pan juices spooned over top. Fabulous!
I can't wait to see what I can come up with next. This is fun! I just love using my imagination and stretching my abilities!
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!
Shepherd's pie is made using ground lamb. Lamb was not something I ate a lot of in Canada. It was not all that easy to find although my late FIL raised lamb on his farm. It is probably the same as it is in most places.
You have a hard time finding things that are actually grown there because it usually gets shipped elsewhere. That's why we end up eating California berries and BC apples, even though we have really good ones here in Nova Scotia. It's all down to trade agreements.
I remember the first time I went up to the Horseshoe Pass in Wales. I was amazed at all the sheep. They were everywhere. Dotting the hillsides, on the roads, etc.
I remember tip toe-ing through the grass trying to avoid their mess, not wanting to step on it. But there was no getting away from it, and really it doesn't smell anyways. Not like others. You just had to give up after a while!
I use a bit of carrot in the mix with the meat and onions. This adds a little touch of sweetness and helps to get in a bit of extra veg. You could certainly add some celery if you wished or even grated turnips. Both would work well.
I also flavour the gravy with Worcestershire Sauce. It adds a lovely touch. You could add a splash of HP sauce as well if you liked, or even Ketchup but it is not really traditional if you do.
The thatch of potatoes on top is really nice and flavour filled as well. You will want to use a nice floury potato so that your mash is nice and light.
Don't use new potatoes. Old potatoes work best. New Potatoes don't mash properly. I made that mistake once at Thanksgiving when I was really young and didn't know better. Are you familiar with the consistency of glue? haha Yep, not very appealing in the least!
I have 20 years of lost time to make up for and I plan on doing just that for the remainder of my days. Making up for lost time. Building memories for those grands that are much more than a photograph or a face through a screen that they cannot touch!
That is the silver lining in all that I have been through lately. Being able to be with family and forge relationships with my grandchildren. That is the real gift. And I will never take it for granted, not ever.
I have sized this recipe down to generously serve just two people. There are quantities in the recipe for both two and four servings.
The larger servings are in brackets. I hope that it is easy to understand and not confusing. I tried to make it as easy as possible.
The cheese tastes really good and helps to get a really nice golden brown colour to the finished dish. I think something which is topped with golden brown anything automatically tastes even better.
We eat with our eyes first. Enjoy!
Shepherds Pie
Ingredients
- 2 tsp sunflower oil (1 TBS)
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped (1 medium onion)
- 1/2 medium carrot peeled and grated (1 medium carrot)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (1 clove)
- 1/2 pound lean minced lamb (1 pound)
- 1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs (1 tsp)
- 2 tsp plain flour (1 TBS)
- 150ml (generous half cup) lamb or vegetable stock (300ml/1 1/4 cup)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (1 TBS)
- frozen peas (Optional)
- 1 pound floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (2 pounds)
- 2 TBS milk (4 TBS)
- 1 1/2 TBS butter (3 TBS)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 40g (1 1/2 oz) strong white cheddar cheese (50g/2 ounces)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Fry the onion and garlic in it until softened. Add the minced lamb and cook, breaking up the lamb with a wooden spoon, until browned.
- Stir in the carrot and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the flour and herbs. Gradually whisk in the stock and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until it bubbles and begins to thicken. Leave to simmer while you do the mash.
- Put the potatoes into a pot and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and cook until tender, about 12 - 15 minutes. Drain well.
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5
- Return to the pot and shake over the residual heat of the burner to dry out. Mash well with a potato masher. Stir in the butter and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning of the lamb mixture. Pour into the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover with a layer of frozen peas. Spoon the mash over top to cover, roughing the surface up with the back of a spoon or a fork. Sprinkle with the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are crisp and golden brown. Spoon out onto heated plates to serve.
This was always one of my father's favourite suppers! He is a simple man with simple tastes and not too hard to please so long as it is not too far out of the ordinary!
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!
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