Have you ever looked at the ingredients in Cajun spice mix? I honestly never had, but then it occurred to me that the flavour is so unique there must be some special ingredient in there that I’d never tasted before on its own. Maybe a dried root grown on a remote island, under the branches of the boojimana tree (totally made that up) that can only be harvested 3 days a year....
Galaxy Caramel chunks and Nutella. Do other people look at those ingredients and thing ‘hmmm they need cake to bring them together’. Or is that just the way my really greedy brain works? These blondies are the kind of cake you need when you’ve had a bad day. Or maybe it just needs to be a bit cold and wet outside, and you want something to go with that pot of tea....
The light sponge, no-spoon-required-handleability(real word?) of a cherry cake combined with the buttery, crunchiness of a crumble pudding. Yes, this is 2 puddings in one, and all the better for it. I love a good crumble, but I have to admit that July is not really crumble weather. So I think I’ll just add crumble toppings to everything instead – like this delicious pud, or my apple crumble cookies. I’m also considering crumble brownies, crumble cupcakes and maybe ice cream crumble?...
Can I label this as fusion food? Google tells me fusion food is a mixture of different culinary traditions or cultures. Hmmm. I guess that’s a no then. We could maybe go with eclectic. But I HATE that word. Do you have a word that you just hate? No logical reason, you just have an unwavering dislike for it. Eclectic is that word for me. In fact these are the only two times I’ve ever written it down....
I like to serve fish for dinner at least once a week and this is a recipe I often use to ensure we have clean plates all-round. Tender, juicy salmon fillets, all served up with veggies and sauce in 15 minutes! The salmon does most of the cooking in the sauce, which means it will be lovely and tender, and it’s actually quite difficult to overcook, so you haven’t got to worry about dry salmon!...
I couldn’t serve a soup without toppings. I just don’t have it in me. Toppings can turn a simple soup into something memorable. A dinner rather than lunch. A weeknight meal without lots of faff. Some of my favourite toppings include cheddar potato skin croutons, and bacon-fried-bread croutons. Most soups have a pretty healthy base, so I figure I can splurge a little on the toppings 🙂 I guess chunky soups are different - my chicken pot pie soup or corned beef hash soup get off lightly with a sprinkling of fresh herbs....
Not long till it’s holiday time, and I really want to feel good in pretty fitted t-shirts and the dreaded swimming costume! This is one of my lighter options for a quick and tasty mid-week meal that satisfies the take-away craving, but without that horrible too-full feeling afterwards! I know cauliflower rice has been doing the rounds for ages now, but I think it’s here to stay! It’s always the first thing I think of when I’m planning meals that are easy-on-the-waistline....
When I was little, Sunday afternoons would always be spent having tea at my nana and grandad’s house with all of the family. My grandad was a keen and adventurous baker and would have apple crumbles, rhubarb crumbles, scones and trifle on the table without fail. He could always be relied upon to have a big jug of homemade custard, in a Pyrex jug, ready for us all to devour....
Every so often Chris and I get to go on a ‘work trip’ to London. Usually for an event or occasionally for a course. When we’re there, we always try to plan in a bit of sight-seeing, shopping and most definitely eating! One of our memorable meals was at at restaurant in Chinatown (we were drawn to it because it also had a cocktail menu…..) that served delicious Asian ribs with a topping of crispy onions and chillies....
I promise you right now, there is no better use for peanut butter than this recipe! Something magical happens when you mix the peanut butter, lime and chilli to turn this into a lip smackingly great sauce. I love anything Thai, but for once you don’t need all the fish sauce, shrimp paste, tamarind, garlic etc. to get that amazing taste. This recipe was made as part of our 20 minute Tuesday series on YouTube which includes super tasty recipes like my Pan Fried Salmon with Spaghetti, One of Chis’s favourites Crispy Chilli Chicken, awesome Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps and many more quick and easy meals....
Ah, isn’t it pretty? Normally I’m not great at making desserts look pretty, but fortunately for me, the decoration on this plum tart is fool proof! Piles of juicy ripe plums are layered on top of soft almond frangipane and encased with buttery-sweet pastry. Just pass the cream right now. Forget dessert, I want this for breakfast!! Don’t be put off with the homemade pastry. I’m usually the first to applaude the ready-made stuff you can buy in the shops, but this one is extra easy and beautifully crumbly....
The most important thing about this recipe is deciding whether you want to cut it into 36 cute little bite-size squares, or 9 hefty chunks of soul-satisfying biscuity sweetness. Please tell me you’re with me on the hefty chunks?Yes, it is a little on the large size, yes it’s a bit eye-watering on the calories, yes, you might have to open the top button on your pants after you’re done (or wear stretchy ones)....
I came up with this pie as an easy way to cook dinner without having to worry about side dishes. The addition of the carrots and potatoes means it’s filling enough to serve up a complete dinner. Now I’ll be the first to admit, I usually describe a pie as something with a pastry top and base. However, I’m giving myself some slack because I am still using two whole rolls of pastry....
Loving this curry! It’s got all the flavour of a classic Thai green curry, but it’s healthier and lighter whilst still being satisfying. Because there’s so much flavour packed into the homemade Thai Curry Paste, you don’t need to add garlic, ginger, fish sauce, lime etc to the curry. It’s all in the paste already! We had this for a quick after-school dinner last week and the whole family loved it....
Happy New Year!! I’m finally back in the kitchen (remodel almost complete!) and cooking/photographing at home once again! There’re still quite a few bits to finish, and we’re waiting for some furniture to arrive (still no dining table!), but I think the kitchen will be done by the end of Jan, and the adjoining office will hopefully be done by mid Feb. I CAN’T WAIT to show you guys....
This post was created in collaboration with Grana Padano and Prosciutto di San Daniele. Salads just don’t do it for me in the winter months. I want stick-to-your-ribs comfort food! But after a while I start to turn sloth-like, and slow right down until all I want to do is nap on the sofa! Not good considering November and December is our busiest time with work and then of course, there’s Christmas!...
I love/hate it when I make sweet chocolatey things like this. Love? Well they taste amazing. So could I could probably eat 10 in a row and still want more. Hate? I could probably eat 10 in a row and still want more….. I was checking out Sally’s Baking Addiction blog the other day, and I spotted her recipe for Pumpkin Spice Truffles. They looked so good, I decided to give them a go with my own flavour-spin on the recipe....
How many times have I made these sticky slow-cooked ribs? Too many to remember. A real family favourite, the gnawed-clean plate of bones is clear evidence of the popularity every time. I even have to stop my daughter picking other people’s leftover bones and giving them a good lick (bluergh). With the hope of the sun coming out to play again (it’s been raining for the past few days here in the North West UK), I’m re-purposing my recipe for BBQ season....
As a blogger, I create a lot of different recipes for Kitchen Sanctuary and for other websites too. That means we’re usually eating something different at least 3 or 4 times a week. This recipe (and the beef version) is one of those old favourites on my regular recipe rotation list for those days I don’t have to cook up something new. Super quick to prepare and easily made gluten free too....
One of my favourite ways to whip up a really tasty potato side dish - with minimal effort. No need to go to the effort of peeling and slicing potatoes - just bung a load of potatoes in a pan and boil until tender, then transfer to a tin, give them a quick smash with a spoon and drizzle in oil. Sprinkle with seasoning and spices, and let them crisp up in the oven....
