I lived in London for four months in college, and while I loved the city so, so much, I regret not visiting a smaller town in the English countryside. There is so much beauty in England outside of the major cities, and there is a different culture and pace as well.
While we are all looking for creative ways to "travel" right now, I decided to try to figure out a way to turn my little apartment into an English cottage, just for a little while.
The first, obvious thing that popped in my head is doing a Sunday roast! This is a classic English tradition where the local pubs offer up a mouth-watering, home-cooked meal on Sundays featuring a type of meat (some places have a vegetarian option called a nut roast too!), cooked vegetables, potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding. It's one of those things you just have to taste in order to get how amazing it is.
Even though going to an English pub isn't available right now, all of the ingredients for these foods are, and you can make your own Sunday roast in your home too.
Mixed Roasted Vegetables with Blue Cheese Sauce
"Rosana McPhee serves up her roasted vegetable recipe with a difference. A medley of summery vegetables is paired with a rich Stilton sauce to add depth to all of these vibrant, summery flavours. This hearty dish serves six as a side, or four as a main course with a wedge of buttered bread to mop up the roasting juices."
—Great British Chefs
Traditional Yorkshire Pudding
"Believe me, with this easy Yorkshire Pudding recipe you will never buy ready-made ones again, guaranteed. This well-proven recipe is used around the world and with a promise your puddings will rise golden and delicious every time.
While Yorkshire puds are a classic British recipe and one of the major components of England's national dish - roast beef and Yorkshire puddings - a regional dish with national (and international) appeal, they don't always need to be served with a Sunday roast. Instead, think of making them for a midweek supper. Children love them especially with gravy.
In Yorkshire, the pudding is traditionally served with gravy as a starter dish followed by the meat and vegetables. More often smaller puddings cooked in muffin tins are served alongside meat and vegetables."
—Elaine Lemm, The Spruce Eats
Classic Vegetarian Nut Loaf
"Ah, nut loaf. Not the sexiest-sounding main dish, but that hardly matters once you’ve taken a bite. Rich, chewy, umami-loaded and very satisfying, nut loaf has won the hearts and palates of many people — even non-vegetarians. Here is my favorite recipe for this classic dish, along with alternative serving suggestions and, of course, ideas for leftovers."
—Dana Veldon, The Kitchn
Simple Classic English Roast Recipe
"Learn how to make the easiest English roast ever: just 6 ingredients and two and a half hours in the oven. This classic English roast is perfect for a simple, yet classy holiday main or maybe even just a special meal for a regular weekend."
—I Am a Food Blog
The Best Sunday Roast Chicken
"If you are cooking a whole chicken, especially for Sunday lunch, one favorite way is a simple Roast Chicken recipe. A great roast chicken does not need to be saved just for the Sunday dinner; it is delicious any day of the week.
In this traditional recipe, the chicken is cooked in lots of butter so the chicken remains moist and succulent and the skin crispy and golden.
When choosing a chicken to cook, a higher welfare bird is always preferable. It is always comforting to know the bird had led a happier life plus the meat is, by far, tastier.
A classic roast chicken is simple to make and aside as a roast on a Sunday and served with Yorkshire Puddings, the chicken is super served cold for lunch, in sandwiches or for a picnic."
—Elaine Lemm, The Spruce Eats
Perfect English Roast Potatoes
"This style of roasting potatoes, commonplace in the U.K., creates roast potatoes that are fluffy inside and exceedingly crunchy outside, thanks to a shallow fry in hot oil while in the oven. They’re best eaten hot out of the oven, and this recipe makes enough for 4 people. But if you don’t have that many mouths to feed, chill any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Rewarm them in a 350-degree oven or re-crisp them in a skillet the next morning and top with a fried egg."
—Ben Mims, Los Angeles Times
British Roast Vegetable Salad with Stilton
"The British love a Sunday roast—it’s a weekly ritual that many enjoy with friends and family in the pub. Usually there’s chicken with gravy, lamb and mint sauce or beef and Yorkshire puddings. Whichever roast you choose, it always comes with roast vegetables as a side. Since there are often leftover vegetables, I’ve decided to come up with a salad that celebrates this often underrated side."
—Anne Faber, Food + Wine
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