With the warmer weather comes the desire to eat lighter and to eat salads. Early summer/late spring has us all getting out of doors, working in the garden, and wanting to enjoy meals outside in the sunshine.
Picnics, BBQ's, etc. When you live in a temperate climate we want to make hay while the sun shines! We want to make the most of the warmer weather now that Winter has lost its grip on us because we know that all too soon it will be back knocking on our doors!
That's when salads such as this come in really handy!
.JPG "Spaghetti Salad with Tuna")
This is one of the best tuna pasta salads! You can use other pasta with it if you like, but I always enjoy eating this with spaghetti.
Its simple, quick and very easy to make as well.
.JPG "Harrowsmith Country Life")
It is a recipe that I have been making for many years. One of my tried and trues from a cookbook I managed to hang on to called The Best of Pantry.
For more than two decades, one of the best and most beloved departments of Harrowsmith Country Life was a food column named "Pantry."
I used to love watching Harrowsmith Country Life on the television back in the 1990's. I loved their focus on an organic country lifestyle. It was something which I always dreamed of living.
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All of the recipes in the book are tried and trues, based on simple, wholesome, good ingredients. The result is that many of them became my tried and trues.
Now I am on my own, I am downsizing many of my tried and trues. I small batched this almost Mediterranean tuna salad today to feed just two people generously. If you are wanting to feed more it is quite easy to double up on everything, or you could message me and I will give you the full sized recipe.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SPAGHETTI SALAD WITH TUNA
Very simple every day ingredients. With the exception of the fresh herbs, I am sure that most of us already have most of these in our store cupboards.
- 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup (65g) kalamata olives, pitted and quartered
- 2 TBS finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 TBS finely chopped fresh basil
- 2 TBS finely chopped fresh chives
- 1 TBS drained capers
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 each roasted red and yellow peppers, peeled and torn into pieces
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 can albacore tuna, drained and flaked
- 1 TBS good quality balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 6 ounces (175g) dry spaghetti noodles
.JPG "Spaghetti Salad with Tuna")
It might look like a lot of ingredients, but really when you break it down it really isn't all that much. I always keep Kalamata olives and capers in my larder. They are key ingredients for a great many dishes.
You can easily roast your own peppers for this salad. I wouldn't buy already roasted peppers in brine for this. Roasting your own always tastes infinitely better, and its not all that difficult to do.
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HOW TO ROAST AND PEEL BELL PEPPERS
Preheat your broiler or grill to high. Place your peppers on a pan and roast them, turning them frequently, 4-inches from the heat until they are puffed and charred.
Alternately you can roast them on a baking sheet in an oven which has been preheated to 375*F.190*C/ gas mark 4 for half an hour until lightly browned.
Place the charred peppers in a paper or a plastic bag and seal. Leave to sit for 15 minutes to cool. At that time it should be very easy to remove the skins.
Peel and seed and then use as desired as your recipe directs.
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For this recipe I just torn them roughly into bits. I liked the more rustic feel that tearing them gave to the salad.
I also tore the olives into bits. Much, much prettier than cutting or dicing, but you do whatever makes you comfortable and happy.
I always only ever buy albacore tuna. It may be a bit more cost wise, but the quality and flavor is worth every extra penny.
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HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI SALAD WITH TUNA
Whisk the oil, olives, parsley, basil, chives, capers, red pepper flakes, peppers, garlic and tuna together in a serving bowl.
Sprinkle with the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Leave to marinate at room temperature for half an hour.
Just prior to serving, cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water according to the package directions, just until al dente. Drain well and rinse. Drain again.
Toss the cooked spaghetti with the salad ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
Serve slightly warm, or at room temperature.
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As you can see this salad differs a great deal from the usual mayonnaise tuna salad. It is light and fresh and incredibly tasty, with lots of salty tang from the capers and olives.
If you use tuna in olive oil, it will have even more flavor. There is a light sweetness from the peppers and the fresh herbs give the salad a lovely earthy touch.
Then there is the tang of the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. Together with the garlic, this makes for one very delicious salad!
.JPG "Spaghetti Salad with Tuna")
If you are fond of tuna but not wanting a salad, you might enjoy some of my other tuna recipes:
CLASSIC TUNA MELT - Toasted sandwiches don't get much tastier than these delicious classic tuna melts. These are a real family favorite.
MOM'S TUNA CASSEROLE - This delicious casserole has been pleasing members of my family since I was a child. Tuna casserole at its very finest. Nostalgic tastiness with the crunch of potato chips on top!
TUNA LOAF WITH MUSTARD CREAM - Winner/winner chicken dinner. Well fish actually. Delicious served hot or cold.
Spaghetti Salad with Tuna
Yield: 2
Prep time: 35 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 45 Min
This is a quick, warm weather supper salad with a delicious difference! You can use either oil packed or water packed tuna, depending on how health conscious you are.
Ingredients
- 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup (65g) kalamata olives, pitted and quartered
- 2 TBS finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 TBS finely chopped fresh basil
- 2 TBS finely chopped fresh chives
- 1 TBS drained capers
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 each roasted red and yellow peppers, peeled and torn into pieces
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 can albacore tuna, drained and flaked
- 1 TBS good quality balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 6 ounces (175g) dry spaghetti noodles
Instructions
- Whisk the oil, olives, parsley, basil, chives, capers, red pepper flakes, peppers, garlic and tuna together in a serving bowl.
- Sprinkle with the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Leave to marinate at room temperature for half an hour.
- Just prior to serving, cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water according to the package directions, just until al dente. Drain well and rinse. Drain again.
- Toss the cooked spaghetti with the salad ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
- Serve slightly warm, or at room temperature.
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!
One of the challenges of living on your own is that you often miss out on baking and eating things because most recipes just bake up in quantities that are far too much for you to conceivably use up.
Sometimes you can get around that by giving half of whatever you bake away, and sure, you can freeze it, but, if you like to bake as much as I do, you will soon run out of space in the freezer and your neighbors will get tired of seeing your face.
This past year or so I have been trying to small batch as many recipes as I can, and today I am sharing an easy blueberry muffin cake that makes only 4 or 5 servings rather than 8 or 10.
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The original blueberry muffin cake recipe baked in a 9-inch spring form pan. I found this recipe quite some time ago on a blog called Cookies and Cups. It became a favorite recipe of mine to bake when I knew I was having company over.
I decided to adapt it today to a much smaller size than the original recipe makes. This is the perfect size for me to make and then if I freeze any of it, it doesn't take up too much space in my freezer. In all truth though, I could probably eat my way through this in just two or three days.
I hate waste.
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This is probably one of the best homemade muffin cakes that you would ever want to bake and eat. Not only does it have a beautiful tender crumb, but it is filled with ripe plump sweet berries.
Don't get me started on the moreish crunchy streusel topping . . . and then there is that sweet vanilla glaze. What's not to love about this!!
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Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits and they are really good for you as well. Filled with anti-oxidants they are considered to be a super fruit.
I try to eat some every day. I sprinkle them on my cereal, eat them out of hand and also try to use them in baked goods from time to time. They especially shine in beautiful bakes such as this fabulous cake.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BLUEBERRY MUFFIN CAKE
I am sure you probably have everything you need in your kitchen right now to make this fabulous cake! Lets start with the streusel topping!
For the streusel Topping:
- 1/3 cup (75g) granulated sugar
- 4 1/2 TBS plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 TBS butter, at room temperature
I have also used ground cardamom in this, half and half with the cinnamon. Cardamom has almost a citrus flavor and we know how well that goes with blueberries.
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For the cake:
- 1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/3 cup (75g) granulated sugar
- 2 TBS butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup + 1 TBS (90ml) milk
- 1 small free range egg, or 1 large free range egg yolk
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (190g) fresh blueberries
.JPG "Blueberry Muffin Cake")
For the vanilla glaze:
- 1/4 cup (65g) sifted icing sugar
- few drops vanilla
- 1 tsp milk
What cake or muffin is not enhanced with the addition of a sweet vanilla glaze? This is its crowning glory.
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HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY MUFFIN CAKE
This smaller version of the regular cake bakes in a 9 by 4 inch loaf tin, cutting into five beautiful moreishy thick slices.
Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Butter a 9 by 4 inch loaf tin and line with paper so that you have an overhang for lifting out on the two long sides.
First make the streusel. Measure all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and cut in the butter until you have a dry crumbly mixture. Set aside.
.JPG "Blueberry Muffin Cake")
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt for the cake. Whisk together the milk and egg for the cake.
Rub the sugar and lemon zest together in a bowl, until quite fragrant. Add the butter and cream together. Add the flour mixture and milk mixture and mix until just combined.
Fold in the blueberries and spread the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over top.
.JPG "Blueberry Muffin Cake")
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown, set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes before lifting out onto the rack to finish cooling to lukewarm.
Whisk together all of the glaze ingredients, using only enough milk to give you a nice drizzle. Flick this drizzle over top of the cake.
Cut into thick slices and serve warm or at room temperature.
.JPG "Blueberry Muffin Cake")
Yes, I did hedonistically spread lashings of butter onto the surface of my warm slice of blueberry muffin cake. Yes, it was absolutely luxuriously moreish.
Now you know why I look the way I do. I am not a halfway person. Its all in or nothing. That's me, take it or leave it.
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As a bonafide lover of all things blueberry, it occurs to me that you might be as well and so allow me to share a few of my other delicious blueberry creations:
LEMON BLUEBERRY TURNOVERS - Blueberries. Lemon. Puff pastry. Glaze. Prepare to fall in love.
LITTLE BLUEBERRY PUDDINGS - tiny cakes served warm with either pouring cream or ice cream. A delicious dessert any way you look at it.
SPICED BLUEBERRY SCONES - Beautifully buttery and short, with just the faintest hint of spice . . . cardamom and cinnamon . . . and topped with sweet wild blueberry preserves . . .then baked until crisp and brown on the edges.
Blueberry Muffin Cake (small batch)
Yield: 4 to 5
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min
I small batched my all-time favorite Blueberry Muffin Cake. It bakes in a 9 by 4 inch loaf tin now. Its got a lovely soft crumb and is loaded with blueberries, topped with a crunchy streusel crumble and drizzled a sweet vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
For the streusel Topping:
- 1/3 cup (75g) granulated sugar
- 4 1/2 TBS plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 TBS butter, at room temperature
For the cake:
- 1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/3 cup (75g) granulated sugar
- 2 TBS butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup + 1 TBS (90ml) milk
- 1 small free range egg, or 1 large free range egg yolk
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (190g) fresh blueberries
For the vanilla glaze:
- 1/4 cup (65g) sifted icing sugar
- few drops vanilla
- 1 tsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Butter a 9 by 4 inch loaf tin and line with paper so that you have an overhang for lifting out on the two long sides.
- First make the streusel. Measure all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and cut in the butter until you have a dry crumbly mixture. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt for the cake.
- Whisk together the milk and egg for the cake.
- Rub the sugar and lemon zest together in a bowl, until quite fragrant. Add the butter and cream together. Add the flour mixture and milk mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and spread the batter into the prepared loaf tin.
- Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown, set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes before lifting out onto the rack to finish cooling to lukewarm.
- Whisk together all of the glaze ingredients, using only enough milk to give you a nice drizzle. Flick this drizzle over top of the cake.
- Cut into thick slices and serve warm or at room temperature.
Are you looking for expert advice on baking? I found an excellent article on Porch which covers just about anything that you might need to know about baking and setting up a baking area in your kitchen. You can find it here!
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!
There is something really special about having a Smoothie Bowl for Breakfast. Having one of these is almost like having dessert for breakfast except that they are a whole lot healthier!
This version I am sharing with you today contains only a very few natural and wholesome (for the most part) ingredients and goes together in literally minutes, making for a very quick breakfast indeed. Five minutes tops.
You will need a heavy duty blender, but other than that no special equipment is needed other than a spoon!
Frozen raspberries and strawberries are blitzed together with some milk, cookie butter, and vanilla protein powder until the mixture is smooth. It takes literally minutes.
Poured into a bowl and topped with your favorite toppings, these are not only quick and easy, but quite healthy as well, providing you with several of your five a day! Plus the protein powder helps to keep you feeling full until lunch time!
.JPG "Naked Pea Protein Powder")
The protein powder I used is called Vanilla Pea protein powder. It contains only three natural ingredients. Vanilla, coconut sugar and pea protein which has been extracted from yellow split peas grown on Canadian and American farms.
Pea Protein is a protein which is easily absorbed by the body, making it an excellent plant-based alternative to whey protein, which means it is also vegan.
.JPG "Vanilla Pea Protein Powder")
Its been processed via water extraction without the use of chemicals on environmentally friendly farms, which means it is also good for the environment.
Certified gluten free, it is also GMO free, Dairy free, and soy free. I really like that it is produced exclusively on American and Canadian farms. This also helps to lower its carbon footprint.
The more food that we can eat that is sourced closer to home, the better it is for our environment.
I got mine from Naked Nutrition. It came with a handy scoop for measuring.
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I loved that this went together so quickly. The fact that it was incredibly delicious didn't hurt either. Smoothie bowls are much thicker than smoothies and are meant to be eaten with a spoon, just like ice cream, except they are not ice cream.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PROTEIN COOKIE BUTTER RASPBERRY SMOOTHIE BOWLS
There are only a very few basic ingredients needed to make the smoothie itself. With these plus a food processor you are well on your way. The recipe makes only one serving. My smoothie blender only makes basically one serving at a time.
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk of your choice (almond, soy, oat, etc.)
- 2/3 cup (127g) frozen raspberries
- 2/3 cup (127g) frozen sliced strawberries
- 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (Approximately 4 TBS)
- 1 TBS Biscoff cookie butter
.JPG "Protein Cookie Butter Raspberry Smoothie Bowl")
I used frozen berries that I got from my local shops. I also used regular lactose free milk. You can use any kind of milk you want. If you are a vegan you would want to use an oat, soy or even coconut milk. Whatever works for you!
There is the protein powder. I highly recommend the Naked Pea Vanilla Protein powder. There is no funny taste. Just protein, a bit of sweet and nice vanilla flavor.
I used Speculoos Cookie Butter, which is also called Biscoff or Lotus butter. It tastes just like those moreish cookies you get when you are flying or at the side of your coffee cups when you go to a coffee shop in the UK. Very moreish.
.JPG "Protein Cookie Butter Raspberry Smoothie Bowl")
What you choose to top it with is up to you. I topped my bowl with some more fresh berries, rather than frozen.
I also added some chia seeds and keto granola, which is basically just nuts, seeds, and coconut.
.JPG "Protein Cookie Butter Raspberry Smoothie Bowl")
Normally I would only use a sprinkling of chia seed, but when I was sprinkling it got away from me, so ignore the copious amounts and try to imagine it as just a sprinkle.
As Maxwell Smart would say, Sorry about that Chief! If you are really young you won't know who I am talking about! haha My age is showing.
.JPG "Protein Cookie Butter Raspberry Smoothie Bowl")
The real piece de resistance was the melted cookie butter I drizzled on top. Oh my, my . . . this was fantastic.
Cinnamony and incredibly moreish, it added the perfect finishing touch. It felt and tasted really decadent.
.JPG "Protein Cookie Butter Raspberry Smoothie Bowl")
I just popped a TBS of the cookie butter into a bowl and melted it in the microwave. About 20 to 25 seconds on high.
Drizzle it back and forth over the top with a spoon. Mmmmmagnificent!
.JPG "Protein Cookie Butter Raspberry Smoothie Bowl")
They just look and taste like it.
I really hope that you will be inspired to want to try to make one of these for yourself. The protein powder really does help to keep you full until lunch time. I highly recommend!
.JPG "Protein PB & J Smoothie Bowl")
I also made a Peanut Butter and Jam Smoothie Bowl, inspired by one I discovered on Skinny Taste. That one used frozen blueberries and strawberries, as well as peanut butter, and the milk and vanilla protein powder.
If you are a bit worried at the expense of buying protein powder or thinking you won't possibly use it, think again, and do check out a few other ideas for using it that I have given at the bottom of this post.
Protein Cookie Butter Raspberry Smoothie Bowl
Yield: 1
Prep time: 5 MinTotal time: 5 Min
This easy to make smoothie bowl tastes just like a spicy speculoos cookie and fruit bowl. Healthy with a bit of crunch, this makes the perfect start to the day.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk of your choice (almond, soy, oat, etc.)
- 2/3 cup (127g) frozen raspberries
- 2/3 cup (127g) frozen sliced strawberries
- 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (Approximately 4 TBS)
- 1 TBS Biscoff cookie butter
Toppings: (all optional)
- 1 TBS cookie butter, melted (to drizzle)
- fresh raspberries
- granola
- chia seeds
- sugar free white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place your chosen milk into the blender. Add the frozen fruit, protein powder and 1 TBS of the cookie butter. Seal and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a bowl.
- Top with your favorite toppings and drizzle with the melted cookie butter. Serve immediately
I topped it with fresh blueberries, chia seed and keto granola.
Another treat that we made with the Protein powder was these amazing Oatmeal Protein Energy Balls from The Healthy Maven. We used chopped dates instead of raisins, and some raw unsweetened coconut flakes in addition to the Vanilla Pea Protein powder and other ingredients.
They were incredibly delicious and what I would call very moreish.
I cannot recommend the Naked Vanilla Pea Protein enough. It is an excellent product. It was packed really well for shipping and arrived totally intact. With 27 grams of protein per serving and only 120 calories it is a nutritional powerhouse.
I have not tasted it on its own, but only mixed into other things and it works very well in that way. If there is one drawback to this product it is that here in Canada it is only available in the 5 lb/2.27 Kg size. I am sharing this with my sister. I am also going to try freezing some to see if I can keep it for longer that way. In any case I give this product two thumbs up!
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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