Meals of the Week, December 24th - 30th, 2023

 

 

Its hard to believe but this is my last Meals of the Week post for 2023!  I did my first one of these posts back in March, and have been doing them weekly ever since!  What a delicious year it has been as well!

At the end of each week I do a round-up post of the main meals that I have eaten from the seven days previous.  These posts contain all of the recipes.  Some are recipes I have just cooked  and others are reposts of recipes that I have cooked previously.  In some cases I have eaten out at a restaurant or at a family or friend's place.  In those cases I have provided a suitable substitute recipe.

This has been something which I have enjoyed doing and which you seem to have enjoyed me sharing.  I have always loved meal and menu planning and have been doing it since my children were small. It helped me when it came to budgeting for my weekly meal expenses and it also has helped me through the years to be more accountable and to make things interesting for those I am feeding.  

When I was a child you knew exactly what day of the week it was by what was for supper. Mom tended to cook the same things day in and day out, week in, week out, year after year after year.  That can sometimes get boring. We all need and can use a bit of inspiration.

Also because I am now a person that lives on their own there is a tendency for things perhaps to become repetitive and mundane when it comes to meal planning, or we resort to frozen ready meals, take aways or tins and bottles.  I don't want to be that person.  I have promised myself that for as long as I am able to I am going to cook fresh and exciting meals for myself, filled with variety and good wholesome ingredients. Meals made completely from scratch and using ingredients we can all pronounce.

Having said that I am not perfect and occasionally I will use  a tin of soup or another store cupboard ingredient to create something delicious for my supper, but as a rule, I tend to make everything from scratch.

And I like taking you along for the ride!  Here are my menus/recipes for the past week.  I think you will agree that its been a really tasty week and pretty exciting.  Hat's off to 2023 and here's to load of new recipes/meals in 2024!

SUNDAY, December 24th - Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve I had my whole family over for dinner. Well, my sister Cindy, her partner Dan and my father.  I cooked Cheesy Chicken Rarebits. This is one of my favorite things to cook for company. Not only are they really easy to make, but  the recipe is very adaptable to making as many or as few as you wish to make.  This was always a standby for me when I had the Missionaries over for supper.

 

Tender juicy chicken breasts bake beneath a blanket of grated cheddar, grainy mustard and cream. Clusters of cherry tomatoes on the vine are placed in between the chicken pieces whilst baking. They soften and their juices  mingle with those of the chicken and that scrumptious sauce.  This is really delicious.

We enjoyed this with rice, roasted broccoli and cauliflower (which both go well with the cheesy sauce also) and some rice. Of course we had some Christmas goodies for dessert.  Christmas cake, mince pies, shortbread cookies, etc.

MONDAY, December 25th - Christmas Day at Cindy's

Christmas Dinner in Canada almost always means a Roast Turkey Dinner. Dan is always given a turkey for Christmas from where he works. My sister does a beautiful job of roasting it.  We got together early in the day and exchanged gifts and then I helped with the dinner. We had Roast Turkey of course, along with my mother's Bread and Potato Stuffing.  There were mashed potatoes, squash, carrots, green beans and my sister's special glazed sweet potatoes. She also makes the best gravy in the world.  Homemade cranberry sauce.

Dessert was an assortment of baked Christmas goodies. We were all stuffed but we still managed to enjoy a few of those as well. It was a fabulous meal, but the best part of all was being together as a family.  Family times are the best of times.

TUESDAY, December 26th - Boxing Day

The day after Christmas is what is known as Boxing Day here in Canada and is a holiday. It is always the day right after Christmas. Traditionally it was the day that people who worked for wealthy families on Christmas Day were given their Christmas's boxes along with the day off.   A reward for having spent their Christmas Day serving their wealthy masters.

I had my daughter Eileen and her husband Tim over for the day and we feasted on their favorite meal, Macaroni Cheese and Tomato Bake. It is one of their favorites.  A base of macaroni in a simple, yet delicious tomato sauce is topped with a creamy rich cheese bechamel and baked to perfection. (You can access a smaller recipe for two here.)

I also made them Weiner Wrap, which is hotdogs wrapped in biscuit/scone dough and baked.  Plus we had some mixed vegetables and then for dessert I had made them Tik Tok Cinnamon Roll Hack. Afterwards we played some games and just enjoyed each other's company. I drove them home at the end of the day armed with all of the leftovers which they were very happy about. 

Traditionally Boxing Day you would enjoy the leftovers from Christmas Dinner, but Eileen and Tim had already enjoyed three Turkey Dinners so I thought a change from that would be much more appreciated. Also, since I had not cooked a turkey dinner, I had  no turkey leftovers!

WEDNESDAY,  December 27th - Classic Tuna Melt 

Normally on Wednesdays I will go with my father and his friend Hazel to The Big Scoop for a supper out.  We usually have fish and chips. This week the restaurant was closed.  They have sold it to a new family and it will be opening again next week.   It will be interesting to see in the new year if much has changed. 

Dad and Hazel still went out. They went out for a Chinese meal closer to where they both live. I stayed home and treated  myself to one of my favorite hot sandwiches.  A Classic Tuna Melt.

I have always loved tuna melt sandwiches.  With crispy buttery toasted bread, a rich tuna salad filling, and melted cheese, this hot sandwich always goes down a real treat with me. You can have potato chips on the side or a salad, or even a bowl of soup. I am happy with just the sandwich.

THURSDAY, December 28th - Lemon and Chicken Soup

Still full up from all the richness of the Christmas holidays and so I opted for a light supper of soup.  Lemon  and Chicken Soup is one of my favorite bowls of soup. This is a fabulously tasty chicken soup, with fresh flavors!  It uses chicken stock along with lemon juice. You might think the lemon would be overpowering, but it really isn't.  It adds a lovely layer of flavor that is quite pleasant! It is delicious and hearty.

This with some crackers suited me to a "T."  It was filling but not overwhelmingly so.  It was the perfect meal to enjoy on a dreary, rainy and grey day. 

FRIDAY, December 29th - Dinner Out

I enjoyed a meal out with friends.  My sister and brother in law and my niece Bonnie who was down visiting for the holidays. We went to Angies, which is just around the corner from me. It is always nice to spend time with them. I love them very much.

I stayed pretty true to form and had their Fish and Chips. Its very good there.  Battered Haddock, hand cut fries, coleslaw.  Yummy. I am sharing my own recipe for Beer Battered Fish with you, just in case you feel ambitious and want to make your own! It always turns out really delicious. The fish perfectly cooked, the batter nice and crisp.

SATURDAY, December 30th - Pan Seared Steak with Garlic Butter

I thought I would just have something simple on Saturday.  I had a nice steak in the freezer so I took that out and enjoyed it simply with some mushrooms and garlic butter.  A few vegetables on the side. I was skipping the carbs!  I figured I had done enough of those all week!

This is a great steak recipe. Simple and filled with flavor. Tender and juicy, it is a perfectly seared, cooked and flavored steak. The garlic butter goes perfectly. A cast iron skillet works best, but if you don't have one you can use any skillet with a heavy bottom that can handle a high heat well.

I enjoyed this simply with some steamed beans and broccoli.  It was perfect.

And those were my meals of the week, for the last week in December of 2023!  Time to begin a tasty new year!  Happy New Year 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 

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Homemade Onion Dip (small batch)

 

 

I thought it would be fun to make a bit of a treat for us to enjoy for New Year's Eve.   I am not a party animal when it comes to New Year's Eve. I am more of a party at home kind of a girl.

A few finger foods, a good film, something cold and refreshing to drink, and watching the ball drop at midnight. That's a "me" kind of New Years Eve!

 

Because my ex husband was a police officer, he always worked on New Years Eve.  The single guys would work Christmas so that the married guys with children could have it off. Then the married guys would wok New Years so the single guys could go out and party.

That suited me fine.  The children and I always celebrated it with a finger food feast, a good film or two and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

 

I used to make plenty of wings, stuffed mushrooms, some bite sized pizzas and samosas, pigs in blankets,  nachos and salsa, etc. and there would be loads of dips and accompaniments.

A nice vegetable dip  to enjoy with veggie sticks.  Hummus which I loved and then I would make a big batch of this onion dip to enjoy with potato chips. And they had to be ruffles.  Because Ruffles are better for dipping.

 

This homemade onion dip will spoil you forever from ever wanting to have the already prepped kind that you can buy at the store.  

It will also forever spoil you from being satisfied with the onion soup mix onion dip!  This tasty onion dip is the creme do la creme of onion dips.  

 

Its also very simple to make. You start off with caramelizing some onions.  This is probably the longest most tedious part.  You can't rush them or you risk burning them.

Long and slow cooking is the key here, plus a few other bits and pieces.  A bit of patience goes a long way and is rewarded with the most delicious onion dip you could ever eat!

Its simple really.  Really simple.  And amazingly tasty!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HOMEMADE ONION DIP

Simple ordinary ingredients. Fresh and simple.  Good fresh ingredients put together in the most delicious way! This is a small batch recipe. Simply double everything to feed more people.

• 1 TBS light olive oil
• 2 cups chopped brown cooking onions (2 medium onions)
• 1 TBS Balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp soft light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp each kosher salt an black pepper
• 1/2 cup (60g) full fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup (55g) full fat mayonnaise
• 1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder (not salt)

 

Don't be tempted to use butter in this dip. Because it is chilled, the butter will harden and it won't be as nice and silky as it is when you use oil. I like to use light olive oil as it doesn't have much of a flavor to it, and is a tiny bit healthier for you than regular oil.

Just use regular brown cooking onions. You will only need about 2 medium onions.  Just peel them and then chop. Don't chop them too finely or they will reduce to nothing. You want to leave them fairly chunky.  About 1/3 inch dice.  

Use a good quality balsamic vinegar. You don't want the most expensive, but you also don't want the cheapest either. A good in-between one will do just fine.

 

Also using full fat ingredients will give you a nicer flavored and textured dip. Nice and silky.  Rich.  They add extra sugar to low fat mayonnaise.  I prefer to use the full fat one, and of course the full fat sour cream has a much thicker texture then the low fat version.

You're dipping chips into it.  Saving on the fat here is kind of moot.  Just go whole hog.  It's once a year, and it does make a difference as far as taste goes.

Make sure you use garlic powder and not salt.  

 

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE ONION DIP

It is not a quick fix, but it is worth the extra time taken to caramelize the onions properly. This is just plain delicious. No bells and whistles needed. 

Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften and are starting to brown.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the balsamic vinegar, sugar and seasonings. Cook gently over low heat, uncovered, until the onions are nicely caramelized. This will take 25 to 30 minutes.

Leave to cool completely. (You can caramelize the onions the day before if you wish.)

 

Whisk the sour cream and mayonnaise together. Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Stir in the onions. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

Transfer to a covered container and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Serve with potato chips for dipping.

 

This delicious dip really had the "Moreish" factor. It was rich and creamy with just the right amount of caramelized onion.  In fact there was a very generous amount of onion in the dip which made for even more scrumptious flavor!

I don't know why they call it French onion dip as there is no cheese or beef stock involved.  Whatever you want to call it, this is one very tasty dip!

If you are looking for some other yummy finger food/dip types of recipes here are some more that I have cooked and can highly recommend!

ALL DRESSED HUMMUS - This All Dressed Hummus is also a real favorite around here.  I call it all dressed because it is topped with lots of lovely bits to dress it up. A delicious well flavored hummus base topped with crispy chick peas and finely chopped vegetables.  Wonderful with pita chips or flat bread for dipping, or even raw vegetable sticks!

GARDEN HERB DIP - A delicious dip made with yogurt, cream cheese, and mayonnaise. Filled with lovely chives and chopped spring onion.  Fabulous served with crisp crudites and crackers. When I bring this to a party, my dish always comes home empty.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings (3/4 cup)

Author: Marie Rayner

Homemade Onion Dip

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Fabulously delicious. A bazillion times better than anything you can buy ready made and not all that difficult to make either! You will never be happy with store bought again.

Ingredients

• 1 TBS light olive oil
• 2 cups chopped brown cooking onions (2 medium onions)
• 1 TBS Balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp soft light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp each kosher salt an black pepper
• 1/2 cup (60g) full fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup (55g) full fat mayonnaise
• 1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder (not salt)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften and are starting to brown.
2. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the balsamic vinegar, sugar and seasonings. Cook gently over low heat, uncovered, until the onions are nicely caramelized. This will take 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Leave to cool completely.
4. Whisk the sour cream and mayonnaise together. Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Stir in the onions. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
5. Transfer to a covered container and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
6. Serve with potato chips for dipping.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #TheEnglishKitchen

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 

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Cheese and Pepper Bread

I have been food blogging in one way or another since 2003.  I started over on My Space, moved to AOL Journals and then to Blogger. I think I was probably one of the first food bloggers.  In truth, I have always been a food journal keep and recipe sharer, since before blogs ever existed.

I have a Big Blue Binder which has travelled all over the world with me and it contains a wealth of recipe treasures.  Recipes that I have gleaned from friends, family, magazine clippings, etc.  Some I know their origins. Others I do not.

 

 

This Cheese and Pepper Bread recipe is one that I originally shared on my now defunct Oak Cottage blog.  It is a fabulous quick bread recipe that goes together in a flash and that is perfect served along side of soups, stews or salads, or with a meat and cheese tray, or even enjoyed slice and buttered all on its own.

I think it is probably a recipe that I gleaned from one of my ex boss's Junior League cookbooks.  I would be hard pressed to tell you which one, but the recipe is on a photocopied page which leads me to believe that is the source.

 

I had not made it in a very long time and I was wanting something quick to enjoy with some soup today. I remembered this lovely quick bread and decided to bake it.  

WHAT IS A QUICK BREAD

A quick bread is a type of bread that does not use yeast as a leavener. Instead it will use baking powder or baking soda, or a combination of the two.

They come in both sweet and savory versions, as well as in loaf and muffin shapes. Think Banana Bread or Bran Muffins. Both are what is known as quick breads.

One thing that I really love about quick breads is that they go together very quickly.  You can have them stirred together and baking lickety split.  Most of them bake to done in less than an hour as well, which makes them a really great option for when you are looking for a bread to serve for any meal or occasion but don't have a lot of time to spend.

I also love that they come in both quick and savory versions.  Today's recipe is a delicious savory version.  Rich and cheesy, which means it is excellent to serve with soups or stews, salads or even on it's own.  

You could also make some really nice savory tea sandwiches with it, cutting it in thin slices and sandwiching them together with some boursin or cream cheese. These would be lovely cut into finger sandwiches.

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR QUICK BREAD SUCCESS

If you follow my hints and tips there is no reason why you can't bake a really great quick bread successfully!

1. Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature unless otherwise specified.

2. Use the best quality ingredients that you can afford and at your disposal.

3. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in one bowl and your wet ingredients together in another bowl/beaker before combining together.

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together quickly and do not over mix. They need only be combined until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened without any large pockets or streaks of dry ingredients. 

5. Do not over combine the dough.  A light hand is preferable.  A few lumps are perfectly okay and quite acceptable. Over combining yields a tougher bake.

6. Spoon into your baking pan/tin as soon as possible after combining in order to gain the maximum lift from the leavening used.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHEESE AND PEPPER BREAD

Very simple, every day, ordinary ingredients. You probably have everything you need in the house right now to make this delicious bread!

• 2 cups (280g) all purpose plain flour
• 1 cup (120g) grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 TBS granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp coarsely grated black pepper
• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk (see notes)
• 1/3 cup (80g) melted butter
• 2 large free range eggs

 

Use a really good quality sharp/strong cheddar cheese.  I really love a good farmhouse cheddar.  Grate your cheese yourself.  They put things into pre-grated bags of cheese to help them flow easier.

I always have buttermilk in my refrigerator. You can find it in the dairy aisle of the grocery store near the creams. Don't worry if you don't have any  or you can't find any, I have provided a simple way to make a viable and easy substitution which works very well.

 

Don't be tempted to use regular ground pepper in this loaf. You will get much better results if you use coarse ground pepper.  If you look at the photographs you will see that the grains of pepper are quite obvious in the loaf and that is what you want.

You can buy  coarse ground black pepper, or even better yet grind some peppercorns up yourself in your pepper or coffee grinder.

I always use salted butter in my baking. I can't afford to have two kinds of butter on hand. If I think it is going to make a huge difference salt wise, I simply leave out the salt in the recipe.  I have never had a problem doing this.

If all of your ingredients are at room temperature your butter will mix well into the buttermilk and eggs.  Don't mix the butter in hot or it may cook your eggs which you don't want.

 

HOW TO MAKE CHEESE AND PEPPER BREAD

Nothing could be easier.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter and line the bottom only of an 8 by 4 inch or 9 by 5 inch loaf tin. (The smaller one will yield a much taller loaf.)

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and cheese together in a bowl.

Whisk the melted butter, milk and eggs together in a beaker. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and mix everything together quickly until just combined but the dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into the prepared baking tin.

 

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched.

Remove from the pan by running a round bladed knife around the edges. Tip onto a wire rack and cool slightly.

Serve warm, cut into slices, with butter for spreading.

Notes

If you don't have buttermilk you can make a quick substitute in one of the two following ways:

1. Put 1 TBS of vinegar or lemon juice into a beaker and add milk to the 1 cup/240ml mark. Whisk together and leave to clabber for 5 minutes.
2. Whisk together equal parts of full fat plain yogurt and full fat milk.

 

This really is a lovely quick bread. I enjoyed it today sliced and spread with butter while it was still warm along side a hot cup of soup. 

I do think it would be really nice served with any soup or stew and I think it would be fabulous served for breakfast along with some softly scrambled eggs and sausage and or bacon on the side. The flavors of this bread are quite simply fabulous!

Some other delicious Quick Bread Recipes that I have shared here in the English Kitchen are:

 CRANBERRY, NUT & ORANGE BREAD - This is a deliciously classic quick bread that is beautiful served warm or cold, thinly sliced and spread with butter or cream cheese.  It goes beautifully with a hot drink such as tea. You can also make cream cheese sandwiches with it to serve at tea parties.  It is a simple and really tasty loaf, flavored with orange and generously studded with cranberries and toasted nuts.

CORNBREAD WITH FENNEL, CRANBERRIES AND SULTANAS -The recipe  is one of my favorite of all the quick breads that I make.  It is no secret that I am a huge fan of cornbread.  I also happen to love quick breads with dried fruit in them, especially raisins and cranberries. Add fennel seed to anything and I am so on it!  I just adore its slight anise-like flavor.  This lovely bread incorporates those three loves of mine in a most delicious way!

Yield: 1 loaf

Author: Marie Rayner

Cheese and Pepper Bread

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 42 MinTotal time: 52 Min

A savory delicious quick bread that is really simple to make and has a beautiful cheesy peppery flavor. Great with soups or stews or as a part of a cheese and meat tray.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (280g) all purpose plain flour
• 1 cup (120g) grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 TBS granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp coarsely grated black pepper
• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk (see notes)
• 1/3 cup (80g) melted butter
• 2 large free range eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter and line the bottom only of an 8 by 4 inch or 9 by 5 inch loaf tin. (The smaller one will yield a much taller loaf.)
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and cheese together in a bowl.
3. Whisk the melted butter, milk and eggs together in a beaker. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and mix everything together quickly until just combined but the dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into the prepared baking tin.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched.
5. Remove from the pan by running a round bladed knife around the edges. Tip onto a wire rack and cool slightly.
6. Serve warm, cut into slices, with butter for spreading.

Notes

If you don't have buttermilk you can make a quick substitute in one of the two following ways:

1. Put 1 TBS of vinegar or lemon juice into a beaker and add milk to the 1 cup/240ml mark. Whisk together and leave to clabber for 5 minutes.
2. Whisk together equal parts of full fat plain yogurt and full fat milk.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #TheEnglishKitchen

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 

 Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again! 

 Follow me on bloglovin