When we were growing up our mother would make a salad for us to enjoy with our supper most Sunday evenings. She always made her dressing from scratch. She always started it early in the afternoon.
She would finely chop about 2 or 3 TBS of onion into the bottom of a bowl and then top it with some vinegar, as well as some salt and black pepper. This would sit for several hours macerating before she added anything else.
Just when she was ready to put the salad together, she would add some salad oil and then break iceberg lettuce into the bowl and add some cucumber and maybe some radishes, tossing everything together to coat with the oil and vinegar mixture.
Those salads were always a real treat for us. I always really looked forward to them, and I will make them that same way even now to this day. Macerating the onion in the vinegar seemed to draw some of the sharpness out of the onion so all that you were left with was the sweet onion flavor.
This is a recipe she learned from our German landlady when we were living in Germany. I, myself, add a touch of sugar to it as well.
When I saw this Sweet Onion Vinaigrette Dressing on A Farm Girl Dabbles, I just had to try it, although I did cut the recipe in half. There is really only me to feed salad to here. It reminded me somewhat of my mother's Sunday Salad dressing, albeit a bit sweeter.
I think it makes a great coleslaw vinaigrette salad.
You know I only share the best of what I discover with you! Do read on to find out my hints, tips, and experiences with this tasty recipe!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SWEET ONION VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
Simple everyday ingredients. There is nothing complicated about this delicious dressing.
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) white vinegar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (I use light olive oil)
- 1/2 tsp celery seeds
- 1/2 small onion, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
The recipe specified white vinegar, but I think apple cider vinegar would also work very well. I don't think I would like Balsamic vinegar in this dressing.
I did use light olive oil, which is olive oil that is from a later pressing, so it is not as filled with flavor and has a much lighter color than EVO. I would not use EVO.
Don't skip the celery seeds. They do add a lovely flavor.
Don't be tempted to just mince the onion. Grating the onion helps to release a lot of the flavor and the juices from the onion. You can use more or less onion, according to your own preference.
HOW TO MAKE SWEET ONION VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
This really is quite simple. You can double the ingredients to make more if you wish, but do bear in mind that, as there is fresh onion in the dressing, it won't keep longer than two weeks.
Place the sugar and vinegar into a saucepan. Set over medium heat and warm through, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Remove from the heat. Whisk in the remaining ingredients to combine completely.
Leave to cool completely. It will appear separated. This is normal.
Pour into a pint jar and refrigerate.
When you are ready to use it, give it a vigorous shake to amalgamate all of the ingredients. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
HINTS AND TIPS
1. Do not skip the step of heating the vinegar and sugar together to melt the sugar thoroughly. You don't need to bring it to the boil for the sugar to fully melt. Also don't stick your nose in the pot to smell. It will give you a jolt and a whammy of vinegar smell
2. I found it a bit oily so if I make this again, I am going to use half water and half oil, but that is a personal preference.
3. Some onions are stronger than others so judge accordingly and try to get all of the juice from your grated onion as well.
4. Don't skip the celery seed. This adds a lovely piquancy.
5. If using it to dress cabbage/coleslaw, make sure your cabbage is not shredded too thinly.
6. Store in a jar with a screw top lid. This allows for ease of shaking the dressing to emulsify it when it comes to using it to dress your salad.
7. This will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
8. Use the freshest vegetables you have available to make your salad with using this dressing.
This was quite tasty. You do need to shake it up really well each time you go to use it so make sure you have it in a jar with a very tight lid. I used it on a small amount of shredded cabbage and carrot as that is all I had in the house. It worked very well.
Apparently this much will suitably dress a whole bag of coleslaw mix. Personally, I think that this amount would be too much for use with one bag of coleslaw mix, at least as far as the bags of coleslaw mixes that we can get here in Nova Scotia go.
I think it would be great on a salad of spinach, bacon and egg as well. Just use your own common sense and dress it accordingly.
If you are like me, you enjoy a homemade dressing on your salads more than any shop bought. Here are a few more of my all-time favorites that I think you might also enjoy!
OLIVE GARDEN SALAD DRESSING - I have never been to an Olive Garden restaurant, so I have never had their salad dressing. I cannot speak to the authenticity of this dressing. What I can tell you however is that it is incredibly delicious. Rich, creamy and beautifully flavored!
HOMEMADE SALAD CREAM - This tasty dressing is the most common dressing offered in eating places all over the U.K. You can also buy it in jars in the shops. This homemade version is even better than the shop bought. It is rich and creamy and beautifully tangy. We love this!
Yield: 12 servings
Sweet Onion Vinaigrette Dressing
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 10 Min
Sweet, oniony, bright and tangy, this is a delicious homemade salad dressing. Great for coleslaw or for any salad really.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) white vinegar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (I use light olive oil)
- 1/2 tsp celery seeds
- 1/2 small onion, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the sugar and vinegar into a saucepan. Set over medium heat and warm through, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Remove from the heat. Whisk in the remaining ingredients to combine completely.
- Leave to cool completely. It will appear separated. This is normal.
- Pour into a pint jar and refrigerate.
- When you are ready to use it, give it a vigorous shake to amalgamate all of the ingredients.
- This will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
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I wanted to use up the last of my roast chicken today and so I went looking for a casserole to use it up in. You know that was not a HUGE roast chicken, just a medium sized one, but I got a meal for four from it as a roast chicken, then a delicious hot chicken sandwich, and today I got a casserole sized for two. That isn't even including the bones which are in the freezer waiting to make soup.
Yes, it can seem really expensive to buy a whole chicken these days, but they, with proper planning, can be rather economical in the long run!
I found this casserole recipe on a page called The Kitchen Magpie. What appealed to me was the simplicity of it. I decided that I could easily cut it in half as well to feed only two people. Bonus!
I pretty much did it exactly as written this first time around. I like to follow a recipe the first time I make it, and then I can make any changed I want to make the next time.
I did cut it in half. I liked that there was no cheese in this one. I eat too much cheese. lol It was refreshing not to have the cheese in there for a change.
I think you could add frozen mixed vegetables, with the peas, carrots, corn, beans, and it would be similar to a pot pie casserole. You could also add some herbs such as summer savory or thyme.
You could even add some sauteed mushrooms. But it really was lovely as is. I was quite happy with it. I cooked it in two smaller casserole dishes and took one over to my next-door neighbor who really enjoyed it as well!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE FOR TWO
You really only need a few simple ingredients for this tasty casserole. It does use condensed cream soup. If you have an aversion to this, you can make a simple white sauce.
- 1 1/2 cups (135g) uncooked egg noodles
- 1/2 of a 10 3/4 oz/305g tin of condensed soup (cream of chicken or cream of mushroom, freeze the other half tin.)
- 1/4 cup (30g) dairy sour cream
- 3 TBS whole milk
- 1/4 cup (38g) frozen peas
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder, not salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder, not salt
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
- 1 cup (125g) diced cooked chicken breast meat
- 1 small packed (about 12 crackers) saltine crackers
- 1 TBS butter, melted
You don't have to use egg noodles; you can use any kind of flattish type of pasta or even rotini! I used cream of mushroom soup and froze the other tin. MAKE SURE YOU LABLE your soup before you put it in the freezer. You think you will remember what it is at a later date, but trust me, it's very easy to forget!
I used full fat sour cream and whole milk.
I used frozen petit pois. I just like the texture better.
You can use leftover roast chicken, rotisserie chicken or even poached chicken that you have cooked specifically for this.
You do not have to use saltine crackers. You can use any kind of cracker you wish to use. There is no wrong about this.
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE (for two)
You won't believe how very simple this is. Dinner could not get any simpler. All you need is a salad of some sort on the side!
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. If you are using two casseroles (small shallow ones) butter them bother, otherwise butter a 7 by 11-inch casserole dish. Set aside.
Cook your noodles to al dente, following package directions. Drain well and then return to the saucepan.
While the noodles are cooking, whisk together in a bowl, the soup, sour cream, milk and seasonings.
Fold this mixture into the cooked and drained noodles in the saucepan. Fold in the chicken and the frozen peas.
Spread in the prepared casserole(s).
Mix together the melted butter and the cracker crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over top of the casserole(s).
Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until heated through and bubbly. Serve hot.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING A REALLY GOOD CASSEROLE
All of my hints and tips for making a great casserole!
1. Make sure you choose the right dish for your casserole and then butter your casserole dish really well so that nothing sticks. I like shallow dishes because you get more crispy edges, but that is just me.
2. If you are using pasta of any kind, do not cook it any more than al dente. Bear in mind that the pasta will keep cooking in the sauce of the casserole and you don't want soggy pasta.
3. Make sure the protein in your casserole pairs well with the other ingredients.
4. Fresh or frozen vegetables add lots of color and even crunch, depending on how well cooked they are. I like to use frozen veggies a lot of the time and I don't bother to thaw them out.
5. Make sure you have plenty of sauce. You don't want it to be too soupy, but you also don't want it to be too dry. Again, make sure the flavor of your sauce pairs well with the remaining ingredients.
6. You will need a starch of some sort. Rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. all work well.
7. Don't be afraid to add layers of flavor with herbs and spices. Again, make sure they go well with everything else.
8. Don't overlook the value of a crunchy topping! I love a crunchy buttery topping. Buttered bread or cracker crumbs. French fried onions. Buttery flaked almonds. Grated cheese. Or any combination thereof. All work very well.
For all of its simplicity, this is really delicious! I did add a bit too much chicken to mine which took a bit away from its creaminess, but I wanted to use it all up! In any case it was quite enjoyable anyways!
I did add extra peas as well, and of course a very generous buttery cracker crumb topping. Can you ever have too many buttery cracker crumbs on top? I think not!
Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole not quite doing it for you? Perhaps you would enjoy one of the following two delicious casseroles. Very, very tasty indeed! And again, sized for two.
GRANDMA'S CHINESE CHICKEN CASSEROLE - This is one of my all-time favorite chicken casseroles. I can't begin to tell you why it is called a Chinese casserole because there doesn't seem to be anything remotely Chinese about it. Not unless you count the crispy chow mien noodles and salted cashew nuts on top! Everything else reads like an ordinary chicken casserole! It's totally delicious!
CHICKEN & DUMPLING CASSEROLE - This is a "just-like-magic" kind of an entree. Almost like a pudding cake. You know the ones I mean . . . the self-saucing ones, except this is not a sweet pudding. Rather, it is a savoury chicken casserole along the same vein, and I don't mind telling you that it is amazingly tasty!
Yield: Two servings
Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole (for two)
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Crisp buttery crackers top this creamy chicken noodle casserole which is sized perfectly for two. Delicious comfort food. Just like mom's.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (135g) uncooked egg noodles
- 1/2 of a 10 3/4 oz/305g tin of condensed soup (cream of chicken or cream of mushroom, freeze the other half tin.)
- 1/4 cup (30g) dairy sour cream
- 3 TBS whole milk
- 1/4 cup (38g) frozen peas
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder, not salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder, not salt
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
- 1 cup (125g) diced cooked chicken breast meat
- 1 small packed (about 12 crackers) saltine crackers
- 1 TBS butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. If you are using two casseroles (small shallow ones) butter them bother, otherwise butter a 7 by 11-inch casserole dish. Set aside.
- Cook your noodles to al dente, following package directions. Drain well and then return to the saucepan.
- While the noodles are cooking, whisk together in a bowl, the soup, sour cream, milk and seasonings.
- Fold this mixture into the cooked and drained noodles in the saucepan. Fold in the chicken and the frozen peas.
- Spread in the prepared casserole(s).
- Mix together the melted butter and the cracker crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over top of the casserole(s).
- Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until heated through and bubbly. Serve hot.
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After our Easter Supper I ended up with some leftover roast chicken that needed using up. We were supposed to have our dinner on Saturday, but because of my trip to emergency we had it on Sunday. I made a really simple meal. I spatchcocked a chicken and rubbed it with olive oil and a generous amount of Kinder's Seasoning, Buttery Garlic and Herb.
That stuff is so good. I use it on a lot of things. We bought ours at the Cambridge Convenience store where they carry a lot of Costco products.
So we had that roast chicken, with some scalloped potatoes, carrots, beans, stuffing, biscuits and some relishes on the side. Ice Cream for dessert. I kept it really simple and did not overdo it this year. Happy to say there was nothing leftover except for some chicken breast meat. It was a nice sized chicken. It fed the four of us and I also sent a meal next door to my neighbor Sheila. I was surprised to have leftovers.
Today I used some of the leftovers to make myself a hot chicken sandwich. Oh, how very much I love bread and gravy! I would be quite happy with a meal of bread and gravy and nothing else at all. This is the reason I really love hot sandwiches such as this one! Is the bread and gravy!
If you don't like soggy gravy-soaked bread, then this is not for you!
This causes me all sorts of pleasure. The soft bread, the gravy, the sliced chicken. mmm mmm I am all over this. These kinds of hot sandwiches are very popular in the mom-and-pop style of restaurants here in Canada. And for good reason! They are delicious and help a small amount of meat to go a long way!
You can use leftover roast chicken, a rotisserie chicken or even deli sliced roast chicken for these sandwiches. I like the leftover roast chicken the best. Just saying . . .
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH
It's simple really. Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way possible!
- two slices of a rustic type of white bread
- 4 slices of roast chicken (enough to fill the sandwich)
- 1 cup (240ml) of chicken gravy (use leftover, make some fresh, or use a packet)
You could use a sourdough for this, but bear in mind it will soak up twice as much gravy so you will need to make more.
I used leftover roast chicken. I cut mine from the breast about 1/3 of an inch in thickness. At the end of the day, you can use as much meat as you like, as thinly cut as you like. Just bear in mind that the gravy is what will be heating it up.
You can use leftover gravy heated up, or you can make your own fresh gravy from scratch, get it from a can (heated), or use a dry packet mix. The packet mixes can be quite salty however so do bear that in mind.
HOW TO MAKE A HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH
These really aren't hard to make and come together very quickly. All you really have to do is slice the meat and heat the gravy and you are set to go!
Make your gravy or heat up the leftover gravy. (You can heat your sliced chicken in this if you wish, but it's not totally necessary.) You want your gravy to be boiling hot.
Lay one slice of your bread on a plate. Ladle 1/4 of the gravy on top of the bread.
Top with the sliced chicken. Ladle 1/2 of the remaining hot gravy over the chicken.
Place the final slice of bread on top of the chicken and gravy. Ladle the remaining gravy over top of everything. Serve immediately.
HINTS, TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
Quick and easy to make here are a few hints and tips to ensure hot sandwich success!
1. Make sure your gravy is really hot. Boiling actually. This will help to make sure your sandwich is really hot when served and it will heat through the chicken.
2. Don't use too dry a type of bread if possible. The dryer the bread it will soak up more gravy, so you will therefore need more gravy. You want a sturdy bread, however. We like these with white bread and a good homestyle white works great!
3. Don't think you have to use chicken only in these hot sandwiches. This concept works for all kinds of leftover meats. Beef, pork, turkey. All work well. I confess I have never made with lamb so cannot speak to how that would taste.
4. Add a layer of stuffing if you wish for additional flavor, and in that case, possibly a few dabs of cranberry sauce. Stuffing also goes well with roast pork and turkey as you probably know.
5. If using roast beef why not add a dab of horseradish sauce? Yummy!
6. Its great if you have lots of leftover gravy, but don't worry if you don't. I have a recipe here for perfect gravy that you can make from scratch using stock. You can also use canned gravy, or packaged gravy mixes. Do bear in mind however that those mixes usually contain a lot of salt.
These hot sandwiches are a really delicious way to use up leftover cooked chicken. I enjoyed this along with some roasted halved baby new potatoes and a mix of steamed carrots and podded broad beans.
I was really excited to see the podded broad beans in the freezer section of our local Soby's store. They were in the Indian food section. I think they must be a popular addition to the Indian diet. I like them just plain as they are with a bit of butter, salt and pepper! They are also great thawed out and used as is in salads much like you would use thawed frozen peas!
Not convinced? Perhaps you might like these other tasty ways to use up your leftover cooked chicken?
SPAGHETTI WITH ROASTED CHICKEN AND SHREDDED SPROUTS - Leftover roast chicken tossed together with buttery soft shredded Brussels sprouts, whole wheat spaghetti, garlic and cheese. Simple to make and delicious.
CRUSTY CHICKEN POT PIE BUNS - Leftover cooked chicken and vegetables in a tasty, creamy sauce. Stuffed into a hollowed out crusty roll and topped with stuffing. These are then baked until the filling is hot and bubbling and heated through. No faffing about with rolling out pastry. These are quite simply a delicious way to use up what's in the refrigerator. If you have leftover gravy, so much the better!
Yield: 1 serving
Hot Chicken Sandwich
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 20 Min
The quantities here are for one serving. You can very easily multiply this to make as many hot sandwiches as you like. This is incredibly tasty. No leftover chicken? Use deli sliced chicken. This will still be delicious!
Ingredients
For one serving:
- two slices of a rustic type of white bread
- 4 slices of roast chicken (enough to fill the sandwich)
- 1 cup (240ml) of chicken gravy (use leftover, make some fresh, or use a packet)
Instructions
- Make your gravy or heat up the leftover gravy. (You can heat your sliced chicken in this if you wish, but it's not totally necessary.) You want your gravy to be boiling hot.
- Lay one slice of your bread on a plate. Ladle 1/4 of the gravy on top of the bread.
- Top with the sliced chicken. Ladle 1/2 of the remaining hot gravy over the chicken.
- Place the final slice of bread on top of the chicken and gravy. Ladle the remaining gravy over top of everything.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
You can also shred rotisserie chicken to make these. If you want to you can add things like shredded cheese or a layer of hot stuffing to the base. In my opinion, however, it doesn't get much better than this basic version.
Serve with hot chips, oven wedges, heated leftover roast potatoes, and a vegetable on the side.
All rights reserved The English Kitchen
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!
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.
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