I have been blogging in one way or another since about 2003. I started over on My Space. It was just a way of keeping an online journal at that time and I had hoped that it would be a way that my children could keep up with the goings on in my life after I moved over here to the UK.
I moved from MySpace over to AOL Journals because it was a bit user friendlier and then I ended up moving over here to blogger and started my Year From Oak Cottage Blog. I hadn't been blogging for very long when I noticed that people loved it when I posted a recipe I had cooked. So I started adding recipes to my page.
Then I decided I wanted to separate the two and have a personal blog and a cookery blog and that is when The English Kitchen was born. I recently stopped paying for my domain at Oak Cottage since I haven't written there in several years and its been shut down, but I have wanted to move all of my recipes over here.
I cringe when I look at those early photographs. They were really bad. I had a lousy camera and knew nothing about taking food pictures. But they were all really sound and delicious recipes. I hope you will forgive me if every so often I do a post which features some of these old recipes.
Its a real mishmash today of this that and everything in between, but I think you will find a few treasures here, at least I hope you will!
*Spicy Pork Chops With Peaches*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
Oh
my but these are some tasty. I just love peaches and pork is a meat that
goes so very well with fruit. Tender, juicy and spicy these chops
please on many levels. I simply served them with rice and a vegetable
and it was a meal fit for a king!
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS, plus 1/3 cup orange juice
2 TBS soy sauce
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp mild curry powder
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless pork chops
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cups peeled and thickly sliced peaches
Combine
the brown sugar, 2 TBS of orange juice, soy sauce, cardamom, curry
powder and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
Trim
all the fat off of your pork chops. Place them into a heavy plastic bag
or between two sheets of cling film and bash them with a rolling pin
(gently) until they are about 1/3 of an inch thick and uniform in size.
(this also helps to tenderize them) Place them into a shallow glass dish
and pour the spice mixture over top. Allow to marinate for at least 15
minutes, or cover and place in the fridge to marinate for up to 2 hours.
Heat
the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Shake
off any excess marinade (reserving marinade) and cook the chops in the
heated pan, browning well on both sides. This should take about 2
minutes per side. While the chops are browning, add the peaches to the marinade, turning them to coat them all over.
Add
the remaining 1/3 cup of orange juice to the pan and bring to a simmer,
stirring. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the chops, turning
occasionally,until the chops are cooked through, some 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove the chops from the pan to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
Keep warm.
Add the peaches and the reserved marinade to the pan.
Increase the pan heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until
the liquid is reduced to a light sauce. Stir any juices from the
resting pork chops. To serve, spoon the sauce and peaches over the
chops.
*Scalloped Turkey (or Chicken)*
serves 4 - 6
Printable Recipe
Delicious
dressing on the bottom and topped with tender slices of leftover
turkey. The whole thing is smothered in a tasty sauce and baked in the
oven. I simply cooked some vegetables and baby new potatoes to go along
and it truly was a meal fit for a king!
3 to 4 cups cooked turkey or chicken
4 ounces butter
1/2 cup flour
salt and black pepper to taste
2 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 4-ounce tin of sliced mushrooms, drained well
(Or you can slice up some fresh mushrooms like I do, and brown them
off in a bit of butter)
For the dressing:
2 cups toasted bread cubes
2 small onions, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried sage, crumbled
2 ounces butter
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly butter a 2 quart casserole dish and set it aside.
Melt
the 4 ounces of butter in a saucepan. Blend in the flour and cook,
stirring for one minute. Slowly stir in the broth and the milk. Cook,
stirring constantly until bubbly and thickened. Season to taste with
some salt and pepper. Set aside.
Lightly toss the bread cubes,
onion, celery, 1/2 tsp salt, crumbled sage and the 1/4 cup of melted
butter together in a bowl. Add a grinding of black pepper to taste.
Arrange in the prepared casserole dish.
Place the sliced turkey
overtop of the dressing in the casserole dish. Top with the sliced
mushrooms and then pour the sauce over top, covering it completely.
Place in the heated oven and cook for about 1 hour, until nicely bubbling and well heated through. Serve hot.
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
Moist chicken, covered in a deliciously golden sweet and sour sauce,
this wonderful dish surely lives up to it's name. I love anything sweet
and sour. This went beautifully with some steamed rice and some string
beans.
1 (3 ounce) packet of lemon flavoured gelatin powder
3 TBS butter, melted
3 TBS prepared mustard (not the hot English mustard)
1 tsp salt
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 TBS thinly sliced almonds
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F.
Combine
the gelatin, butter, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl,
whisking well together. Place the chicken breasts in an ungreased 11
inch by 7 inch by 2 inch baking dish. Brush well with this mixture and
then pour any remaining mixture around the chicken in the dish.
Cover
and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, basting once halfway during the cooking.
Remove the cover, baste again and sprinkle with the almonds. Bake,
uncovered, for 15 minutes longer or until the chicken juices run clear.
Remove from the oven and serve.
*Little Pink Chicken*
Serves 6 - 8
Printable Recipe
This
recipe is attributed to Linda Robinson from the Belgrano Ward in the
South America South Area mission of the LDS church. Like me, she loves
to cook for the missionaries and always likes to give them a taste of
home if she can. This was one of the Elder's who was working in their
area's favourite thing from home that his mother always made, so she
e-mailed his mom and got the recipe and here it is. She says the elders
always love it and after having made and tasted it myself, I can
totally see why!! It's fabulous! Thank you Sister Robinson!
2 large chicken breasts
1/2 tsp garlic salt
cornstarch
1 egg, beaten with 1 TBS water
oil for frying
for the Sauce:
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp salt
2 TBS soy sauce
Cut
the chicken into bite sized pieces and sprinle it with the garlic salt.
Let sit for one hour. At the end of that time, coat each piece in
some cornstarch. (I put some cornstarch into a bowl and just stirred it
all together. I used about 1/4 cup)
Heat some oil, about 1/4
inch deep in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Dip the cornflour
coated chicken bits into the beaten egg and then carefully cook them in
the hot oil until lightly browned. Scoop out into a shallow casserole
dish. Repeat until all the chicken pieces are browned.
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F.
Place
the sauce ingredients into a large microwavable beaker. Whisk
together. Cook on high for approximately five minutes, stirring it
halfway through the cooking time. Pour over the chicken in the
casserole dish.
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until the sauce is nicely thickened. (Do not cover)
I served this with some egg fried rice and stir fried vegetables on the side. It was wonderful!
*Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders and Salad with Tangy Maple Dressing*
Serves 4-6
Printable Recipe
This
is one of my favourite salads to eat in the warmer weather. I love the
crunch of the chicken and the crisp salad greens and it's sweet and
tangy dressing.
Chicken Tenders:
vegetable oil for frying
1 1/2 - 2 pounds chicken tenders
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten together with a bit of milk or water
1 cup dry bread crumbs or cracker meal
1 cup of pecans, finely chopped or ground
1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly ground
the zest of one orange
Dressing:
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup of barbeque sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
the juice of one orange
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad:
3 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped
a handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
6 spring onions, sliced diagonally
Place
the flour in one shallow dish. Place the eggs in another shallow dish,
next to the flour. Place the bread crumbs, nutmeg, orange zest and
pecans in third shallow dish, mixing them together well.
Season
the chicken tenders with salt and pepper and then roll them in the
flour. Dip them into the beaten egg and then finally coat them in the
crumb mixture.
Heat some cooking oil in a large skillet over
medium high heat. Fry the tenders in the hot oil in small batches for 3
to 3 1/2 minutes on each side. Drain well on paper towels.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients until amalgamated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Combine
the chopped lettuce and the spring onions in a large salad bowl. Toss
with 3/4 cup of the dressing. Divide the mixture amongst 4 to 6 chilled
serving plates.
Top each with several of the chicken tenders. Drizzle the remaining dressing over top. Serve.
*Hearty Ham Broth*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
What a delicious soup this is,
just full of wonderful flavours and textures. It's easy, low in fat,
high in folic acid and easily counts as two of your daily five a day!
1 TBS olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 ounces cooked ham, shredded
2 pints hot vegetable stock
2 ounces small pasta shapes or broken spaghetti
1/2 of a cabbage, shredded (I used Savoy)
salt and black pepper
Heat
the oil in a large pan. Add the onion, carrot and potato. Gently
sweat for about five minutes without colouring. Add the pieces of ham
and the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and then
allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potato begins to
soften.
Add the pasta and cook for a further 10 minutes, until
the pasta is cooked and the potatoes begin to break down and thicken the
soup. Stir in the cabbage and cook for several minutes longer, just
until the cabbage is cooked. Taste and add some salt (if needed) and a
healthy grind of black pepper. Serve up in heated bowls with some
buttered crusty bread on the side.
*Cauliflower Cheese Soup*
Makes 5 cups
Printable Recipe
1 medium head of cauliflower, trimmed and broken into florets
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup butter
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup grated strong cheddar cheese
For the buttered bread crumbs:
1 cup fresh soft white bread crumbs
2 TBS butter
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Place
the cauliflower into a pot with the chicken stock. Bring the boil, then
cover and simmer until the cauliflower is tender. Do not drain. Allow
to cool for a bit, then run it through a blender to puree. Set aside.
Melt
the butter in a medium sized saucepan. Add the onion and saute until
the onion is softened and fragrant. Do not brown. Stir in the flour,
salt and pepper. Cook for a minute then slowly whisk in the milk. Heat
and whisk until it boils and thickens. Add the cauliflower mixture and
the cheese, stirring until the cheese melts. Give it a blitz with a
stick blender if you want it to be completely smooth.
To make the
toasted bread crumbs, melt the butter in a small skillet and then when
it begins to foam toss in the breadcrumbs. Add the seasonings. Cook and
stir until the bread crumbs begin to brown and crisp up.
Serve the soup in heated bowls with a spoonful of the bread crumbs on top of each.
*Ham and Eggs In A Bun*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
This
is such a wonderful way to serve your ham and eggs. There’s very little
mess and it’s so charming. The kids, both big and small, will love this
one!
4 whole wheat rolls
Softened butter
4 large free range eggs
4 slices of ham, slivered
2 spring onions, chopped, both green and white parts
4 slices of Swiss emmenthal cheese
1 tsp sweet paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Pre-heat your oven to 180*C/350*F.
Take
your buns and cut into them with a sharp knife, hollowing them out and
leaving a sturdy outside shell. You don’t want it to be flimsy. You want
it to be sturdy enough to hold the filling without collapsing. (you can
use the crumbs to feed the birds or to make some bread crumbs to keep
in the freezer for future uses) Butter all the insides of the bread
shells and then place them on a baking tray and toast them lightly in
the heated oven. Remove them from the oven and proceed as follows.
Divide
the ham up and put half of it into the bottoms of each bread shell.
Divide the onions up and put half of them into the bottoms of each bread
shell as well. Break an egg into each hole and season each with some
salt and cracked black pepper. Top each with a mixture of the remaining
ham and onion. Finally place a slice of cheese over the top of each one
and dust with paprika. Cover lightly with a sheet of foil, shiny side in
and place the baking sheet back in the oven. Bake for about 10 to 15
minutes, depending on how well you want your egg done. Remove the foil
and place under the grill for a few seconds until the cheese turns
golden brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few
minutes. Scatter with some chopped parsley just before serving. Enjoy!
*Chili Dog Enchiladas*
Serves 5
Printable Recipe
I don't know a child alive who doesn't love these . . . or a husband! Quick, easy and delicious.
10 corn tortillas (the smaller sized ones, about 6 inches in diameter)
10 hot dogs (If you can get the all beef ones, use them.)
1 tin (15 to 16 ouncees) of chili (I buy Stag)
2 cups of tomato salsa (I prefer the mild)
1 cup of coarsely grated cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 13 by 8 by 2 inch dish. Set aside.
Soften
the tortillas according to the package instructions. Place one hot dog
and 3 TBS of the chili on each tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place,
seam sides up, in the baking dish. Spoon the salsa evenly over top,
pressing the edges of the tortillas together. The salsa will help to
keep the tortillas from opening during baking.
Cover with foil
and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and discard. Sprinkle the
cheddar cheese over top. Bake for a further 5 minutes, to melt the
cheese.
*Tomato Dumplings*
Serves 4 - 6
Printable Recipe
Light
and fluffy, and wonderfully savoury, these dumplings float on a
delicious sea of a robust and tasty tomato sauce. What’s not to like
about these lovely taste tempting babies?
½ cup peeled and finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped green pepper
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup butter
1 bay leaf, broken in half
28 ounces of tinned chopped tomatoes, in their juices, undrained
1 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the Dumplings:
1 cup plain flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp of Italian garlic seasoning
1 TBS cold butter
1 TBS snipped fresh parsley
2/3 cup of milk
Melt
the butter in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium high heat.
Whenit begins to sizzle add the onion, pepper and celery. Cook,
stirring, until they are tender. Add the bay leaf, tomatoes, brown
sugar, basil, salt and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5
to 10 minutes.
Make the dumplings as follows.
Whisk the
flour, baking powder and garlic seasoning together in a bowl. Rub in the
butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Stir in the parsley and then finally stir in the milk, mixing it only
until mixed together and all the dry ingredients are uniformly moist.
Remove
the lid from the simmering tomato mixture and drop the dumpling batter
onto the top of the simmer liquid by tablespoonfuls. Cover tightly with a
lid and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes without peeking, until a
toothpick inserted into one of the dumplings comes out clean and they
look set and somewhat dry on top. Serve immediately, spooned out onto
warm plates.
*Mashed Carrots and Parsnips*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
These two vegetables go really well together. I could eat a big bowl of just this and nothing else.
4 large carrots (about 1 pound) peeled and coarsely chopped
6 large parsnips (about 1 pound) peeled and coarsely chopped
3 whole cloves
2 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS butter
2 TBS brown sugar
Place
the vegetables into water to cover in a saucepan, along with the
cloves, white sugar, and salt. Bring to the boil and then cover and
simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until very tender. Drain well, removing
the cloves. Return to the hot pan. Place over the residual heat on the
burner and give them a good shake to dry off any remaining water. Add
the butter and brown sugar and mash together with a potato masher. I
like to leave some chunks in mine, but you can mash them as smoothly as
you prefer. Serve hot.
*Nutty Wheat Bread*
Makes 2 loaves
Printable Recipe
A delicious light textured bread with the nuttiness of wheat germ and toasted walnuts added.
3 1/2 to 4 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
2 pkg of rapid rise dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup runny honey
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 cup wheat germ
Butter two 8 by 4 inch loaf pans. Set aside.
Measure
2 cups of the plain flour into a large bowl, combine with the salt and
yeast, mixing together well. Combine the milk, water, honey and butter
in a saucepan. Warm to melt the butter and melt the honey. (120
-130*F) Add the warm liquid to the flour mixture. Blend at low speed
with an electric hand whisk until moistened, then at .medium speed for
two minutes. Add the whole wheat flour, another 1 cup of plain flour,
the walnuts and wheat germ by hand.
Tip out onto a floured
surface and knead in the remaining 1/2 to 1 cup of flour until the dough
is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough into a greased
bowl, turning to grease the top, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a
tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour, until
light and doubled in size.
Punch down the dough several times to
remove all air bubbles. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half out
on a lightly floured surface to a 10 by 8 inch rectangle. Starting with
the shorter side, roll up tightly, pinch edges and ends firmly to
seal. Place seam side down into the greased pans. Cover and let rise i
a warm place until the dough fills the pans and the tops are about 1
inch above the edge of the pans, 35 to 40 minutes.
Preheat the
oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Bake the bread for 30 to 40 minutes
or until the loaves sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottoms.
Remove from the pans and allow to cool on a wire rack.
*Cheese and Pepper Bread*
Makes one loaf
Printable Recipe
2 cups flour
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup buttermilk *
1/3 cup melted butter
2 large eggs
Pre-heat
the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease the bottom only of a 9 by 5 or an 8 by 4
inch loaf pan. Whisk the flour, cheese, sugar, baking powder, baking
soda, salt and pepper together in a medium sized bowl.
In another
small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter and the eggs.
Add all at once to the dry ingredients. Mix together just until the dry
ingredients are moistened. Pour into the greased pan.
Bake for 35
to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out
clean and the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the pan
to cool on a wire rack.
Serve warm with butter for spreading.
*Note - if you don't have any buttermilk you can use 1 TBS of vinegar or lemon juice plus milk added to make 1 cup.
