Thursday, 28 February 2013
Mopping food - heavenly
Today's recipe was Chickpeas with tomatoes and Harissa.
This is a vegetable based stew to serve with rice or bread. Mr Slater recommends bread and the delight of mopping up delicious juices with - in this case - flat bread.
Two new ingreds for me tonight, preserved lemons and Harissa paste. I have never used preserved lemons before but they did add a kind of sharpness to this " gloopy" stew. I used bought flatbreads for the mopping up , Mr Slater makes his own of course.
The verdict - another delicious tea ( apart from the fact I now have a very large jar of preserved lemons to use up - any ideas??? ) and ideal for eating in front of the television in P Js
Husband's verdict - a very clean well mopped dish, but couldn't decide which he liked best
Butter beans with mustard and tomato or Chickpeas with tomatoes and Harissa.
Both are heartwarming filling delicious bowls of food .
Apologies can't get photos to load Will publish later if I can get it it work!!!!
This is a vegetable based stew to serve with rice or bread. Mr Slater recommends bread and the delight of mopping up delicious juices with - in this case - flat bread.
Two new ingreds for me tonight, preserved lemons and Harissa paste. I have never used preserved lemons before but they did add a kind of sharpness to this " gloopy" stew. I used bought flatbreads for the mopping up , Mr Slater makes his own of course.
The verdict - another delicious tea ( apart from the fact I now have a very large jar of preserved lemons to use up - any ideas??? ) and ideal for eating in front of the television in P Js
Husband's verdict - a very clean well mopped dish, but couldn't decide which he liked best
Butter beans with mustard and tomato or Chickpeas with tomatoes and Harissa.
Both are heartwarming filling delicious bowls of food .
Apologies can't get photos to load Will publish later if I can get it it work!!!!
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Problematic recipe
A chapter called "Coconut cream"
Mr Slater says he first "........met coconut in the form of a neat sweet Bounty Bar, and as a coating, along with raspberry jam, for the tiny, castle shaped sponges we wrongly call madeleines."
And I guess this is true of most people ageing between 45-60 ish!!!!!!
In this recipe he introduces me to coconut cream - Chicken wings with coconut cream
Making this dish was not easy and had more than one problem for me.
As I carefully got my ingreds together in the true tradition of a T V chef - everything to hand and ready weighed out - I realised something had gone wrong when I tried to pour my coconut cream into a jug. It was solid! had I bought the wrong thing? Back to Mr Slater's list of ingreds - there it was 320ml of coconut cream I had bought creamed coconut, reading the chapter again I realised this is what is used in piña colada !!!!!
Fortunately I had a can of coconut milk which I decided to substitute, carefully pouring off the creamy stuff at the top, leaving the watery bit behind. Phew first disaster averted.
Then I had problems with the food processor, the ginger and garlic wouldn't blitz but just flew round and round the bowl, along with the turmeric, chilli and coriander. Got round this eventually by adding a few of the tinned tomatoes. Seemed to work ( Have I mentioned how much I ate washing the food processor?)
Then half way through I had to dash into Leeds to taxi my daughter and friends, leaving my hubby behind - sort of in charge.
45 mins later back home and ready to continue.
The final result, OK but not worth the effort in my opinion and very messy finger food.
Not one to do again
Mr Slater says he first "........met coconut in the form of a neat sweet Bounty Bar, and as a coating, along with raspberry jam, for the tiny, castle shaped sponges we wrongly call madeleines."
And I guess this is true of most people ageing between 45-60 ish!!!!!!
In this recipe he introduces me to coconut cream - Chicken wings with coconut cream
Making this dish was not easy and had more than one problem for me.
As I carefully got my ingreds together in the true tradition of a T V chef - everything to hand and ready weighed out - I realised something had gone wrong when I tried to pour my coconut cream into a jug. It was solid! had I bought the wrong thing? Back to Mr Slater's list of ingreds - there it was 320ml of coconut cream I had bought creamed coconut, reading the chapter again I realised this is what is used in piña colada !!!!!
Fortunately I had a can of coconut milk which I decided to substitute, carefully pouring off the creamy stuff at the top, leaving the watery bit behind. Phew first disaster averted.
Then I had problems with the food processor, the ginger and garlic wouldn't blitz but just flew round and round the bowl, along with the turmeric, chilli and coriander. Got round this eventually by adding a few of the tinned tomatoes. Seemed to work ( Have I mentioned how much I ate washing the food processor?)
Then half way through I had to dash into Leeds to taxi my daughter and friends, leaving my hubby behind - sort of in charge.
45 mins later back home and ready to continue.
The final result, OK but not worth the effort in my opinion and very messy finger food.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
You can eat Mr. Slater's words
You can eat Mr. Slater's words - well it would save on calories. Please, please read page89 - Feb 26 th - of The Kitchen Diaries 11. The way this man describes food is wonderful, and I couldn't wait to try today's recipe for lunch today.
Bulgur and bacon - according to our chef ".......it turns out to be one of those ridiculously cheap meals that hits all the right notes."
I had never heard of bulgur wheat before, neither had most of the supermarket assistants, but finally tracked some down behind the packets of pearl barley. Obviously not much call for it!!!
Why ever not? It's lovely. Definitely beats my usual lunch - Ryvita and cottage cheese.
Hope it will reheat ok as saved some for hubby for his tea - I am out with the girls at book club.
Bulgur and bacon - according to our chef ".......it turns out to be one of those ridiculously cheap meals that hits all the right notes."
I had never heard of bulgur wheat before, neither had most of the supermarket assistants, but finally tracked some down behind the packets of pearl barley. Obviously not much call for it!!!
Why ever not? It's lovely. Definitely beats my usual lunch - Ryvita and cottage cheese.
Monday, 25 February 2013
I don't like stir fries/Husband is delighted.
I don't like stir fries - well once again I have to eat my words. Yesterday was Pork with garlic and oyster sauce , and yes it was delicious, if a little hot!
" Never pay more than a few quid for a wok" is Mr Slater's advice, " the trendy thick woks with famous names are rubbish" Thank goodness for that! I needed to buy a wok.
Cheap wok at the ready I began to make the stir fry. Personally not a lover of stir fries, pork, and hot chillies I was definitely not looking forward to this.
I decided to take Mr Slater's advice noted in the ingredients "........plus some greens somewhere" and accompany the stir fry with Kale with chorizo and almonds - a recipe which had escaped me on Feb 19 th.
Love the kale recipe but not sure I could eat it as " a light main course" but as a side dish it was excellent and felt like healthy eating.
The stir fry was good if a little too hot for me, next time I will use less chilli. My guinea pig for this recipe was my daughter who loved it but didn't agree that it needed less chillies.
Lemon tart
Today my husband and his sweet tooth ( but not his waistline) are delighted!!!! I made another desert Lemon tart.
Jim is diabetic and as such , in the interests of his well being and waistline, I try to keep him away from sweets and deserts!!!!! However I do need a second opinion on my cooking - lucky for him.
I decided to make the pastry by hand as I find it therapeutic and hate washing the food processor. The filling was easy to make, with some left over when poured into the pastry case ( which I baked separately in little soufflé dishes -this in fact worked well - good for people like me who don't like pastry)
A delicious tangy desert which is good enough to serve at a dinner party. Lovely!
In the interest of my husbands waistline the rest is now sitting my daughter and future son- in- law's fridge.
" Never pay more than a few quid for a wok" is Mr Slater's advice, " the trendy thick woks with famous names are rubbish" Thank goodness for that! I needed to buy a wok.
Cheap wok at the ready I began to make the stir fry. Personally not a lover of stir fries, pork, and hot chillies I was definitely not looking forward to this.
I decided to take Mr Slater's advice noted in the ingredients "........plus some greens somewhere" and accompany the stir fry with Kale with chorizo and almonds - a recipe which had escaped me on Feb 19 th.
Love the kale recipe but not sure I could eat it as " a light main course" but as a side dish it was excellent and felt like healthy eating.
The stir fry was good if a little too hot for me, next time I will use less chilli. My guinea pig for this recipe was my daughter who loved it but didn't agree that it needed less chillies.
Lemon tartJim is diabetic and as such , in the interests of his well being and waistline, I try to keep him away from sweets and deserts!!!!! However I do need a second opinion on my cooking - lucky for him.
I decided to make the pastry by hand as I find it therapeutic and hate washing the food processor. The filling was easy to make, with some left over when poured into the pastry case ( which I baked separately in little soufflé dishes -this in fact worked well - good for people like me who don't like pastry)
A delicious tangy desert which is good enough to serve at a dinner party. Lovely!
Sunday, 24 February 2013
Heavenly calories!!!!!!
Last night saw us tucking into the most heavenly - quick and so easy to make - desert. Fried apples with brown sugar and creme fraiche.
Of this recipe Mr Slater says " It's a pudding for when you didn't intend to have a pudding....."
He is so right, again the ingreds are simple and normally in the store cupboard or fridge.
A simple combination of apple, sugar, butter, creme fraiche and Calvados ( or ordinary brandy if you don't have Calvados.) The result is a sticky, slightly caramelised, mouthwateringly, divine pudding.
Actually tastes much better than it looks !!!!!!!!
Husband's verdict - "........needs more brandy, but having been denied deserts for so long it is difficult to make a constructive criticism"
Of this recipe Mr Slater says " It's a pudding for when you didn't intend to have a pudding....."
He is so right, again the ingreds are simple and normally in the store cupboard or fridge.
Actually tastes much better than it looks !!!!!!!!
Husband's verdict - "........needs more brandy, but having been denied deserts for so long it is difficult to make a constructive criticism"
Saturday, 23 February 2013
Pancetta and bean soup with spaghetti
Mr Slater says about pancetta " a meal it does not make, but the difference it adds to even a few lettuce leaves or a bowl of soup is extraordinary"
So on last night's menu we had Pancetta and bean soup with spaghetti.
Quick and simple to make with ingredients mostly from the store cupboard. A tasty, warming and very filling soup perfect for winter days. A good stand-by when you haven't time to shop.
Not sure I will be in a rush to make it again though.
Today I should be making Pumpkin, tomato, and cannellini soup. However try as I might I have been unable to get hold of a pumpkin anywhere. Wakefield, Leeds, Dewsbury, stores or markets seem bereft of this vegetable so this is a recipe I will have to put on hold.
As a local produce grower informed my husband ( yes I have had him searching too) "....they are seasonal and that season is autumn" so maybe on hold until Sept/Oct! Not a bad idea as my system has had fun dealing with beans and prunes - not regulars in my diet!
Desert today is Fried apples with brown sugar and creme fraiche - sounds yummy. Let you know tomorrow.
Meanwhile despite the freezing weather, a long walk is beckoning in order to work off all these extra calories .
So on last night's menu we had Pancetta and bean soup with spaghetti.
Quick and simple to make with ingredients mostly from the store cupboard. A tasty, warming and very filling soup perfect for winter days. A good stand-by when you haven't time to shop.
Not sure I will be in a rush to make it again though.
Today I should be making Pumpkin, tomato, and cannellini soup. However try as I might I have been unable to get hold of a pumpkin anywhere. Wakefield, Leeds, Dewsbury, stores or markets seem bereft of this vegetable so this is a recipe I will have to put on hold.
As a local produce grower informed my husband ( yes I have had him searching too) "....they are seasonal and that season is autumn" so maybe on hold until Sept/Oct! Not a bad idea as my system has had fun dealing with beans and prunes - not regulars in my diet!
Desert today is Fried apples with brown sugar and creme fraiche - sounds yummy. Let you know tomorrow.
Meanwhile despite the freezing weather, a long walk is beckoning in order to work off all these extra calories .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)