Nigella Express

I have had this book as my recipe book of the week for quite some time now... I am still working my way through it but already have a few favourite recipes. All those that I've tried have been very quick and easy, many made from store cupboard ingredients and those that need any fresh additions can easily be put together after a quick stop at the local supermarket after work. Many of the recipes can be found at nigella.com but I really recommend getting this book for anyone who is short on time but still enjoys cooking and entertaining at home. If you fancy a warming bowl of chilli or a comforting dish of pasta with ragu sauce but can't face the thought of chopping onions and endless simmering to break down tinned tomatoes, Nigella has some nifty shortcuts. If you're like me, you'll have the odd jar of ready made pasta sauce lurking in the cupboard (although to lessen the guilt of buying "convenience" foods, I try to make mine organic at least!) and one of these can form the basis of a satisfying meal with a few other additions.

If you try one recipe, make it the Quick Chilli. I am a big fan of chilli and usually turn to Jamie Oliver's recipe which uses a jar of blitzed sun-dried tomatoes and a cinnamon stick to produce a deeply aromatic dish which never fails to disappoint, but I was really impressed and quite amazed at this extremely quick recipe. Here is my version of the recipe:

Nigella's Quick Chilli - serves 4
150g chorizo sausage, chopped
500g minced beef
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cardamom pods, bruised
1 x 500g jar tomato and chilli pasta sauce
1 x 390g can chilli beans (I used Biona organic ones from Waitrose)
2 tbsp chilli sauce
A good pinch of chilli flakes

Heat the sliced chorizo in heavy saucepan over a medium heat and cook until a little crispy. Add the mince and cook until browned.
Stir in the spices and cook for a further couple of minutes. Add the pasta sauce, chilli beans, chilli sauce and chilli flakes (there's no such thing as too much chilli!).
Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 20-30 mins.
I served mine with a dollop of sour cream and fresh chilli from my brother Dom's garden.

Can also be served with rice, topped with grated cheese, guacamole or sliced avocado, or as a topping for jacket potato.

And the no-churn Margarita ice cream makes the perfect dessert - I can't be without a tub of this in my freezer and have converted my friend Suz from her all-time favourite chocolate ice-cream! Next, I'm going to try out some other cocktail flavoured ice-creams, strawberry daquiri could be very good.

Ben's Birthday Brunch!

Today was a VERY special day. My beautiful nephew, Ben, was one today! I can't quite believe he is one already as the year since he was born has flown past. He has brought so much joy to our family and is an absolute little star. To celebrate my lovely sister Claire and husband David decided on a Birthday brunch, and we enjoyed:

Pomegranate bellinis
Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels
Sticky aga-baked sausages
Crispy bacon
Homemade organic wholemeal bread*
Slow cooked herby tomatoes
Welsh rarebit muffins*
Banana bread*
Pear and ginger muffins*




Ben's Birthday cake was a delicious spiced honey cake*, made by Claire.



Ben had some lovely presents and really enjoyed his day, almost as much as the rest of us! The great thing is, Christmas isn't too far away and we'll be able to do it all again very soon (and even better, Claire and David are hosting - yay!).




So Happy Birthday Ben with lots and lots of love from your fairy godmother, Aunty Lili xxx

* Recipes to follow!

A Flying Visit to Stockholm

When I say flying, I mean flying! Arrived early hours of Saturday morning and left on Sunday morning. This was my first visit and although brief, I really liked what I saw of the city and will definitely go back. We concentrated on the central island of Gamla Stan, which is one of the oldest parts and home to the Royal Palace. It also has very pretty streets, cafes, restaurants and cute little shops, which is probably why I liked it so much! We stopped for morning coffee in a little bar, and isn't this the cutest looking latte you have ever seen?

Dinner consisted of traditional swedish meatballs, served with creamy mash and lingonberry jam, all washed down with an organic beer - delicious!

Sweet & Simple Bakes - White Chocolate & Orange Cookies

Oops, I can't get used to having a new blog, please see Bitching in the Kitchen for details of these delicious cookies!

Weekend Eats

After a busy weekend of eating, I need a rest and a detox. Mine started on Thursday evening, when I was invited to the launch of the Natural Beauty Yearbook 2010 at Neal's Yard Remedies on the Kings Road in Chelsea. My brother (hey Dom) had invited me to take photos for his company and my reward was being able to drink organic wine, eat delicious canapes and take home a Neal's Yard Remedies goodie bag. Of course I couldn't resist taking some pics of the food too...

My brother

Friday, I managed to "work" from home... Now, I don't normally make banana bread, chicken and cashew nut curry and do my food shopping whilst "at" work, but who was to know as long as I was answering e-mails and being available if anyone needed me on the phone?

The weekend then continued with a trip to Tunbridge Wells to see Amor Flamenco, a fantastic show, far removed from the tourist shows seen on the Spanish Costas. The atmosphere was more that of a late night Spanish bar, with earthy gypsy singing, two fantastic Spanish guitarrists, and two dancers who all put on a fantastic performance. The talent behind the show is Ana, who is a brilliant flamenco dance teacher (I have lessons with her but have a very long way to go!).

Saturday was spent in a rainy Brighton, where my sister Sarah and I went from having delicious coffees at Coffee@33, to brunch at Bill's Produce Store, and then on to a couple of shops just to show willing. Anxious to get home as I had left a curry simmering in the slow cooker, I then had to get me, my flat and dinner ready for my siblings and their spouses, all in time to watch Strictly Come Dancing.

On the menu was slow-cooked lamb rogan josh, chicken and cashew nut curry and a very quick prawn and mango curry, all served with rice. Dessert was my current favourite "margarita" ice-cream which finished the evening off nicely. We then all took it turns falling asleep whilst watching Robbie Williams on the Electric Proms. This was no reflection on his performance, which was great, but more due to the consumption of food and wine...

Nigella's No Churn Margarita Ice Cream

Sunday was a little more relaxing, enjoying coffee and chocolate & banana bread at Dom's whilst deciding on Christmas menus, then home to make the Christmas chutney from Nigella's Christmas. This wasn't quite as succesful as the cranberry & apple chutney, as it seemed to stay quite runny. I decided to turn up the heat, only to then burn the bottom of the pan... (ok, so I got distracted signing up for Twitter). I think I managed to salvage it, but only time will tell. I'll post the recipe, but if you want an easy life, stick with the other chutney recipe!

The weekend finished with a Chinese takeaway with my friend Suz, and a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy (who can resist a weekly fix of McDreamy...?)

So, excuse me while I have a food rest and prepare for next weekend which will be spent in Stockholm. If anyone has any suggestions for places to see and things to eat, please let me know.

Cookalong: Lamb Patties with Hummus and Pitta

It's impossible to blog about everything you cook, after all, I don't want to bore you all with some of the stuff I throw together! Mostly, I just make regular meals and these are hardly newsworthy as they are made during the week from whatever is lurking in the fridge or from store cupboard ingredients. It's nice to venture out of the comfort zone though and follow something that has been suggested by someone else. As a regular follower of the nigella.com forums, I have joined in the last few Cookalong recipes, and this one for October is a real winner.

The recipe can be found using the link below, or in Nigella's Forever Summer book.

http://www.nigella.com/recipe/recipe_detail.aspx?rid=307

The addition of soaked bulgar wheat into the patties adds a lovely wholesome texture, and the dried mint and lemon zest really come through once the're cooked. I made a couple of slight variations at the end, using rocket leaves rather than little gem, I skipped the onion and instead of spritzing over the lemon juice, I added it to the hummus/yoghurt mixture. Falafels instead of the lamb patties would make a lovely vegetarian alternative.

What to do with lots of apples...

I'm not really one to think about Christmas until at least 1st December, but every year I have a burning desire to make presents for friends and family, and preferably edible ones. The problem with this is lack of time, and the fact that I think I can make lots of goodies on Christmas Eve, whilst writing cards and wrapping proper presents. Anyone who is a little more organised than me, would tell me that any edible gifts of the chutney variety, should be made at least two months before Christmas... so that would be now then.

So having recently treated myself to Nigella Christmas, and being given a couple of kilos of apples from a friend's garden, it was time to chop fruit, sterilise jars and set about making some cranberry and apple chutney. I started prepping at about 8:30pm after making a big batch of leek and potato soup for my supper, and it was all done before 10pm. How easy is that? I should point out that this is the first time I have ever attempted making a chutney.

The results, even without two months maturing time, are pretty tasty. I'm looking forward to trying it with cold ham and turkey, and I think it will be lovely with a good strong cheddar. My batch made one largish jar (0.5 litres) and two smaller jars, so at least I can test one before deciding whether to give them as presents!

Nigella recommends that this chutney is made up to 2 months before using or giving (the longer it has the mature, the better) and then stored in a dark, cool place for up to 1 year. Once opened, it should be placed in the fridge and used within 1 month.

Roll on Christmas!