I grew up with a soup making mother! My mother always made big beautiful pots of soup after every roast dinner. Be it turkey, ham, chicken or beef, we always knew that mom was going to make soup from some of the leftovers, especially if there were any bones involved.
One of our favorite soups that she would make for us was Pea Soup. She used to make the old fashioned French Canadian Pea Soup, always after New Years or Easter when we would have had a ham for our holiday dinner. She would use the dried whole yellow peas, and it was delicious. Those kind of dried peas are very hard to find these days, although occasionally you can find them in the local health food bulk store.
More common is the split peas and that is what this pea soup recipe I am sharing with you today uses. Mom would not have approved, but one must do what one must do!
I adapted this Pea Soup with Sharp Cheddar Dumplings recipe from one I found here on Friday Cake Night. She in turn had adapted it from Ricardo. I am actually going to try their version sometime. It uses things like rutabaga in it and I love rutabaga.
I took the liberty of cutting everything in half so this soup recipe makes only three servings. Its a very hearty soup due to the dumplings. I love soup and dumplings. These are light and fluffy. I will add more cheese to them the next time I make them because they didn't have that strong a cheese flavor. I did add some coarse black pepper as cheese and black pepper go very well together.
This was delicious however, all things aside. I am going to make a full recipe of it the next time my son comes to visit. I just know he will love it as well. I froze two servings in individual pots so that I can take one out to enjoy the next time I am rushed for time or know that I am not going to have much time to cook supper. It never hurts to have something tasty like this in the freezer!
If you were really in a rush, you could use a tin of pea soup. I highly recommend the Sprague Pea Soup. Its as close to homemade as you can get.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PEA SOUP WITH SHARP CHEDDAR DUMPLINGS
A few simple ingredients. I love meals like this that are hearty and economical! This was a real winner of a dinner!
For the soup:
1/2 cup (105g) dry yellow split peas
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 small leek, finely sliced (white and light green parts only
1 medium white potato, peeled and diced
1 TBS light olive oil
3 ounces (85g) diced ham
2 1/2 cups (590ml) chicken or ham stock
1 cup (240ml) water
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and black pepper to taste
For the dumplings:
1/4 cup (35g) plain all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
1 TBS cold butter
2 TBS grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 cup (30ml) whole milk
Yellow split peas can be found in most grocery stores. You can also buy them online. You can also use green ones, but the color of your soup will be different.
If you wanted to you could grate the carrot. I know some people don't like chunks in their soups. I am not one of them. I love a thick and chunky soup!
If you have ham stock, so much the better! It is often very hard to find though, so chicken stock is a close substitute.
If you want to keep the soup vegetarian, then leave out the ham and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
I used salted butter as that is all I really basically keep in the house. I find that it doesn't make things overly salty. I use the PC Brand and it is not heavily salted.
Use a nice sharp well flavored cheddar. I used a British cheddar which is lovely, but the cheese flavor in the dumplings was not too strong, so next time I make it I am going to use a bit more so that it is more pronounced!
The coarse black pepper gives it a bit of a bite that is very nice.
HOW TO MAKE PEA SOUP WITH SHARP CHEDDAR DUMPLINGS
There is a bit of a wait involved in order for your peas to soak, but once you get past that everything is a breeze!
To make the soup, put the peas in a bowl with cold water. Leave to soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Wash the leek (prior to slicing) really well in some cold water, making sure you get rid of any sand. Pat dry an slice using only the white and light green parts. (any that doesn't get used can be frozen to use at another time.)
Add the ham, peas, stock, water and thyme. Bring to the boil.
Skim off and discard any foam, reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The peas should be soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To make the dumplings, measure the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Mix well together.
Drop in the butter and cut into the flour mixture with a fork or a two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few larger bits. Stir in the milk to give you a soft dough.
Divide into three and drop on top of the hot soup. Cover tightly with a lid and cook for 10 to 12 minutes without peeking! (Peeking might make your dumplings deflate or not rise as high.) When done the dumplings will appear dry on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of one should come out clean.
Ladle the soup into hot bowls, topping each serving with a dumpling.
This was hearty and delicious. Very filling. I loved the thickness of the soup and that dumpling was really nice. The cheese flavor was quite mild so when I make it again I am going to add a touch more. Or maybe drop a bit of grated cheese on top of the dumplings and let it melt just a bit.
If you are looking for a delicious soup that you and your partner will enjoy, look no further. This is it. If you are on your own, you can freeze the excess soup ( and the dumplings) for a future date. Both freeze very well!
I could eat a bowl of soup for supper any day of the week. I love soup and it doesn't have to be Winter either. I just love soup. It is a simple and economical belly filler! Here are a few of my favorite soups to make and eat that I think you might enjoy!
STONE SOUP - Stone Soup was one of my children's favorite stories when they were growing up and so this simple cabbage, tomato and rice soup became known as Stone Soup. Its a deliciously hearty testament to what can be done with a bit of this, a bit of that, and a whole lot of nothing!
LEMON & CHICKEN 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 flavor note that is quite pleasant! It is delicious and hearty. You can make everything up to adding the pasta ahead of time, but do wait until not too long before serving the soup to add your pasta.
Yield: serves 3
Author: Marie Rayner
Pea Soup with Sharp Cheddar Dumplings
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 15 M
This beautiful soup is delicious and hearty. In a pinch you could use tinned pea soup, but from scratch is infinitely more delicious!
Ingredients
For the soup:
1/2 cup (105g) dry yellow split peas
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 small leek, finely sliced (white and light green parts only
1 medium white potato, peeled and diced
1 TBS light olive oil
3 ounces (85g) diced ham
2 1/2 cups (590ml) chicken or ham stock
1 cup (240ml) water
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and black pepper to taste
For the dumplings:
1/4 cup (35g) plain all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
1 TBS cold butter
2 TBS grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 cup (30ml) whole milk
Instructions
To make the soup, put the peas in a bowl with cold water. Leave to soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Wash the leek (prior to slicing) really well in some cold water, making sure you get rid of any sand. Pat dry an slice using only the white and light green parts. (any that doesn't get used can be frozen to use at another time.)
Add the ham, peas, stock, water and thyme. Bring to the boil.
Skim off and discard any foam, reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The peas should be soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To make the dumplings, measure the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Mix well together.
Drop in the butter and cut into the flour mixture with a fork or a two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few larger bits. Stir in the milk to give you a soft dough.
Divide into three and drop on top of the hot soup. Cover tightly with a lid and cook for 10 to 12 minutes without peeking!
Ladle the soup into hot bowls, topping each serving with a dumpling.
Did you make this recipe?
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I was feeling very nostalgic about the beautiful fish that I used to get in the U.K. the other day and so I picked up myself some frozen Wild Pacific Cod at the grocery store. When I lived in England I used to be able to get the most beautiful Icelandic wild cod. It was quite simply lovely.
Cod is my favorite of all the fishes and in the U.K, is it the fish of choice at most fish and chips places. Mild flavored and almost sweet, it lends itself beautifully to being coated in a batter and fried.
Here in Nova Scotia, most people like Haddock these days, with the cod fisheries having been overfished, its not as available these days and can be expensive. I was longing for it however and when I spied this at the shops, I couldn't resist picking some up.
I had seen a really simple low carb, keto friendly recipe online at a page called That Low Carb Life. It called for only a few ingredients and the fish looked beautifully cooked. As a diabetic I need to be eating low carb meals as much as possible. I need to choose my carbs very carefully.
This looked lovely and was low carb. If you are doing a keto diet it would be proper nice for that as well. You could serve it with a simple assortment of vegetables.
Easy to prepare, low carb and ready in fifteen minutes. Perfectly cooked and delicious! You really can't ask for much more than that!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PARMESAN CRUSTED BAKED COD
A few really simple ingredients and not a lot of time!
2 thick cod loins (about 5 ounces/142g each)
1 medium free range egg, beaten
4 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (I used regular sweet paprika)
1/4 tsp crushed chili flakes
salt and black pepper to taste (I did not use any salt)
Lemon wedges to serve
My pieces of fish were a bit smaller. I had bought them frozen at the fish counter in the store. In the bag were about 6 pieces of cod, all the size of what you see in the photograph.
Grate your own Parmesan if you can get a whole piece to grated. Its much nicer. Don't grate it too fine, but also not too coarse. I had bought some store grated fresh parmesan at the deli counter and that was just the perfect consistency.
True confession here, I am not overly fond of smoked paprika and can only tolerate it in small quantities. It reminds me too much of Spanish Chorizo and I really dislike Spanish Chorizo if I am being really honest. To me it tastes like the smell of sweaty feet and so I just used plain sweet paprika. Just to give a bit of color.
I forgot to put the lemon wedges out for my photographs, but a squeeze of lemon is really nice over this.
HOW TO MAKE PARMESAN CRUSTED COD
Nothing could be simpler. No frying involved. I am sure you could also cook this in an air fryer if you wanted to, but I am not sure on the timings for that as I haven't done so and I wouldn't like to make any recommendations I am not sure of!
Preheat the oven to 425*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Butter a baking sheet, or line with some baking parchment, or a small baking dish large enough to hold both cod fillets in a single layer.
Put the beaten egg in one shallow bowl. Put the cheese and spices in another shallow bowl and mix well together.
Dip the cod pieces one at a time into the beaten egg, coating them well and letting any excess drip off.
Dip the cod pieces one at a time into the cheese mixture, turning them to coat them completely in the mixture, and patting lightly to help it adhere. Place into/onto the prepared baking dish/sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cod is golden brown and it flakes easily when prodded gently with the tines of a fork.
Remove from the oven and serve warm with some lemon wedges for squeezing over the fish. (Yes, I did forget to put the lemon on the plate to take my photos!)
HOW TO TELL WHEN YOUR FISH IS DONE
There is nothing worse than a dried out piece of fish that has been overcooked. Fish actually cooks relatively quicker than most other proteins and the thinner your piece of fish the quicker it will cook.
Fish is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145*F or 62,7*C.
When done your fish should flake easily with the tines of a fork and look opaque and no longer translucent. Just stick the tip of your fork into the fish at the thickest spot and give it a slight twist. If the fish flakes apart, it is done.
My fish came out tender and delicious. Perfectly cooked. The parmesan crust was loaded with bags of flavor and stayed nice and crisp. Altogether this was really tasty and such a simple make.
I served mine with fluffy mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. If you are doing low carb or keto you might want to skip the mashed potatoes and serve this with several vegetables and a salad or some cauliflower rice!
I love fish and wish that I could afford to eat it much more often than I do. When I do cook it, I like to give it the special treatment! Here are a few other ways that I like to enjoy it! You might enjoy them too!
TOMATO AND HERB SAUCED ALASKAN BLACK COD - Fish and tomatoes are a beautiful flavor combination, especially when you add some herbs into the mix. This recipe is simple, using simple fresh ingredients, put together in a simple way, but with gorgeous results. So gorgeous that I would serve it to company.
LOW CARB FISH PIES - Deliciously low carb with pieces of smoked haddock, haddock loin, cod loins and some king prawns in a lush creamy sauce, tucked beneath a phyllo pastry crust. Low carb and delicious. A special meal sized just for two but easily multiplied to feed more.
Yield: 2 servings
Author: Marie Rayner
Parmesan Crusted Cod
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 17 Min
Golden brown on the outside, deliciously perfectly cooked cod. Ready and on your plate in about 15 minutes tops! Quick, easy, delicious. What more could you ask for? Low carb and Keto friendly.
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (I used regular sweet paprika)
1/4 tsp crushed chili flakes
salt and black pepper to taste (I did not use any salt)
Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Butter a baking sheet, or line with some baking parchment, or a small baking dish large enough to hold both cod fillets in a single layer.
Put the beaten egg in one shallow bowl. Put the cheese and spices in another shallow bowl and mix well together.
Dip the cod pieces one at a time into the beaten egg, coating them well and letting any excess drip off.
Dip the cod pieces one at a time into the cheese mixture, turning them to coat them completely in the mixture, and patting lightly to help it adhere. Place into/onto the prepared baking dish/sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cod is golden brown and it flakes easily when prodded gently with the tines of a fork.
Remove from the oven and serve warm with some lemon wedges for squeezing over the fish.
Did you make this recipe?
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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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I found myself with some things in my refrigerator that I wanted to use up today and so I decided to make myself some Quesadillas for my dinner. I had leftover chicken from Sunday night and a piece of a green pepper and a piece of an onion.
I really hate waste. As a person living on my own waste can be a really big problem sometimes. I can remember when I first moved over to the U.K. I was surprised at how small everything was. Small jars, cans etc. of this and that. I bemoaned the fact that everything was so tiny.
But you know what? A heck of a lot less waste. I wish that I could buy things in small tins here in Canada like I could in the U.K! Its surprising the things you miss when you can't get them any more.
Now I am back in Canada I am bemoaning the fact that everything is so large and that there is only one of me. I find it very difficult to use things up as quickly as I would like to. A lot goes into my compost, no matter how hard I try.
Today, however, I did put a dent in it and I managed to use up three things! I was quite proud of myself! Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas. I adapted the recipe from one I found on Great Grub Delicious Eats. I cut it in half and then in half again, so it only made two servings. I have tried freezing one to enjoy at another time. I can't see why it wouldn't work.
In any case I really enjoyed the ones I ate, with my favorite toppings. I was quite full afterwards and I was pleased with my using things deliciously up! I now have a big jar of salsa that I have opened and need to use up. Maybe I will make some Million Dollar Salsa Chicken. That's always really good.
You can cook it in the slow cooker and the leftovers do freeze very well.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHEESY CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
Just a few simple ingredients. If you have some peppers and onions languishing in the the veggie bin and some leftover chicken these are a great way to use some of them up!
1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch pieces, or the equivalent in already cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1/2 cup (26g) chopped onion
1/4 cup (25g) chopped green pepper
1/2 TBS vegetable oil
1/4 tsp taco seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 TBS diced green chilies
the juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup (60g) grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (60g) grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 soft flour tortillas (taco sized)
1/2 TBS butter
To serve:
prepared guacamole
prepared tomato salsa
dairy sour cream
If you have leftover cooked chicken, this will work perfectly in the recipe. Just dice or shred it. I had some chicken breast meat leftover from a cheeky family supper of KFC on Sunday night, so I stripped it from the bones, discarded the skin and shredded the meat.
I used fresh green pepper and onions and also fresh green chili pepper. You can use tinned chopped chilies if you have them. You will not need the whole tin however.
I used one of these to chop everything up and was amazed at how quickly the job got done! And everything was evenly sized. I had seen Anna from Anna's Mobile Home Life on YouTube using one a few weeks back and decided to get one for myself. I am pleased that I did.
You can use any kind of cheese that you like. Just make sure it is a good melty cheese and has plenty of flavor. I used a mix of Jack and Cheddar cheeses. If you use pepper jack it will be spicier.
I used 6-inch flour tortillas, which are about the size you need to make a soft taco. You can do them either as two whole ones stacked, with the filling in the middle or you can do them as half moons with one side folded over to cover the filling. That is how I did mine today.
I like to have a tiny bit each of guacamole, salsa and sour cream on my quesadillas. I had bought a restaurant style salsa the last time I bought it. It was quite thin. I don't think I would buy it again. I bought a kind of guacamole that comes in a squeeze tube. That is quite good as it doesn't turn brown as quickly as the other kind does.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESY CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
These are very simple to make. You can use leftover cooked chicken or you can cook chicken specifically when you are softening the vegetables. They are a great way to use up things in the refrigerator that otherwise might go to waste.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken (if using raw chicken), the onions, green bell pepper and the green chilies.
Season with the garlic powder, taco seasoning. black pepper, salt, cumin and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until the vegetables have softened and the chicken is cooked through. Add the lime juice.
If you are using already cooked chicken add it now and heat through.
Mix together both cheeses.
Heat another skillet over medium heat. Add the butter.
Add one tortilla to the pan. Sprinkle one fourth of the cheese over half of the tortilla. Top with half the chicken and then sprinkle another fourth of the cheese over top. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over to cover the filling and cheese.
Repeat with the other tortilla, adding more butter if necessary.
Cook and toast over medium heat until golden brown on the bottom. Carefully flip over and toast on the other side. When done the cheese should be nice and melted and they should be toasty brown on both sides.
Remove to a cutting board. Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter. Serve hot with your favorite dips.
These were really delicious. I know I say that all the time, but its true! I loved that I was able to use up a few bits and bobs from my refrigerator and make myself a simple and delicious supper that was not only quick and easy to make, but didn't heat up my kitchen!
A plus on these hot summer days.
I enjoyed some of these with some salsa, sour cream and guacamole and a simple salad on the side. It was more than enough for me! Sized for two you can easily double or triple the recipe to feed more!
If you are fond of Tex Mex flavors and eating food with your hands, such as tacos or quesadillas, then you might also enjoy the following recipes!
BIG BREAKFAST QUESADILLAS - These fabulously tasty, quick and easy breakfast quesadillas make a wonderful breakfast or even a light weeknight supper, especially if you add a salad on the side. They are simply delicious! Filled with baked beans, ham and cheese. Toasted until crisp and golden brown and then served with a fried egg on top! Delicious!
ARTICHOKE CHICKEN QUESADILLAS - Think of your favorite artichoke dip and combine it with some chopped cooked chicken and a few other bits. Toast the mixture between two tortillas and you have a deliciously different kind of quesadillas. People love these. As an appetizer or as a simple main meal, they always go down a real treat.
Yield: 2 servings
Author: Marie Rayner
Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min
These cheesy quesadillas are a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken and are very simple to make. They make a great supper along with a tossed salad in those hot summer months when you really cannot be asked to cook. Easy to make and delicious! The recipe makes two servings but can easily be doubled or even tripled to feed more people.
Ingredients
1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch pieces, or the equivalent in already cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1/2 cup (26g) chopped onion
1/4 cup (25g) chopped green pepper
1/2 TBS vegetable oil
1/4 tsp taco seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 TBS diced green chilies
the juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup (60g) grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (60g) grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 soft flour tortillas (taco sized)
1/2 TBS butter
To serve:
prepared guacamole
prepared tomato salsa
dairy sour cream
Instructions
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken (if using raw chicken), the onions, green bell pepper and the green chilies.
Season with the garlic powder, taco seasoning. black pepper, salt, cumin and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until the vegetables have softened and the chicken is cooked through. Add the lime juice.
If you are using already cooked chicken add it now and heat through.
Mix together both cheeses.
Heat another skillet over medium heat. Add the butter.
Add one tortilla to the pan. Sprinkle one fourth of the cheese over half of the tortilla. Top with half the chicken and then sprinkle another fourth of the cheese over top. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over to cover the filling and cheese.
Repeat with the other tortilla, adding more butter if necessary.
Cook and toast over medium heat until golden brown on the bottom. Carefully flip over and toast on the other side. When done the cheese should be nice and melted and they should be toasty brown on both sides.
Remove to a cutting board. Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter. Serve hot with your favorite dips.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #marierayner5530
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 for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
