I did us some lovely Lamb Chops for our New Years Eve Supper last week.  I simply rubbed them with a mixture of rosemary, thyme, garlic, sea salt, white pepper, olive oil and a bit of  good balsamic vinegar that I mashed together with my mortar and pestle.   I let them macerate for a good hour or more while these delicious potatoes were baking and then I quickly grilled them in a hot skillet with a bit of butter for about a minute and a half per side.   They were done perfectly!

After his hospital procedure today I wanted to make Todd something he would really enjoy for his tea.  Apparently he was talking about stew and dumplings in the operating theatre and how good my stew is that I make.  I didn't have any stewing beef or lamb in the house, and no way of getting to the shops to get any,  but I did have some leftover cooked chicken, and another of Todd's favourites is a nice and creamy soup.  I had found this recipe on the net the other day and thought it looked pretty good and so I decided to make it, but with a few adaptions.

Here in the Western world putting fruit in with meat isn't something which we do very often . . .  however having said that we do like our pork with applesauce and our cranberry sauce with turkey . . .  but fruit in a stew, its not a really common thing.  In the Middle East it is a fairly common thing . . .  just think of a Tagine with apricots or dates . . . really delicious dishes.

One type of food that I have really come to adore since moving over here to the UK is Indian Food.  It is a type of food which I had had a very limited experience with prior to that.  Back when I was a much younger woman I had a British friend who had cooked a curry for us one night and I thought it was gorgeous, but that had been my only experience.  I was of the opinion that it was complicated and much to difficult, and in all truth it sometimes can be, often using ingredients that are unknown and very difficult to find.

Over the past sixteen years I have become very fond of Indian food.  My mouth waters at the thought of some gorgeous Onion Bahji's I had at an Indian friend's home one day . . .  and I have made a few very delicious curries here in The English Kitchen as well.  That's why I was really excited when I was given the opportunity to review this new cookery book, Indian Made Easy, by Amandip Uppal.




This collection of over 140 recipes presents a fresh approach to cooking Indian food, taking you on an amazing spice journey that fits a fast-paced lifestyle. You'll find quick, uncomplicated recipes for Butter Chicken and Prawn Curry, tempting vegetarian dishes, as well as Lamb Kofta with Saffron Creme Fraiche and slowly simmered Beef and Potato Curry. Complete your meal with homemade chutneys, pickles and infused rice, then finish off with a decadent dessert or spiced chai. Special features guide you through making paneer, yoghurt and flatbreads, plus there's a fabulous menu planner and information on pantry staples, must-have spices and alternative ingredients. Indian Made Easy has what you need to create everything from a simple, sumptuous dish to an opulent feast - all filled with the wonderful flavours of India.



I found the very indepth information on spices and other ingredients to be very informative.  I like knowing about the ingredients I am going to use.  Knowledge is power, and knowing how to use and store things is really important to me.  I hate waste.



Blendingtraditional and contemporary Indian cuisine, Amandip's recipes breathe a new lease of life into well-known dishes whilst holding true to tradition at the same time.  Broken into tasty chapters entitled Light Bites; Vegetables and Lentils; Fish, Meat and Poultry; Breads and Rice; Salads; Pickles and Chutneys; abd Desserts and Drinks, Indian Made Easy contains quick uncomplicated recipes for every occasion, as well as information on pantry staples, basics, and must-have spices, as well as a fabulous menu planner to help you put together opulent feasts and wonderful combinations of tastes, textures and flavours.



Cook up Lamb Kofta with saffron creme fraiche and Tamarind rice with onion; learn how to make coriander (cilantro) stuffed naan and sesame and ginger chicken skewers; please the veggies with dishes like Aubergine with Chilli Pomegranate Dressing (see above photo) and a cheat's Dhal Makhani; ad sate your sweet tooth with a pistachio kulfi or a Pomegranate and rosewater granita.

 

Everything is photographed beautifully and in all honesty I cannot wait to get stuck in and start cooking with it!  Indian Made Easy is a beautiful and delicious cookbook that brings Indian cookery up to date for the modern and busy cook.



UK based author Amandip Uppal is a former stylist and writer. She  worked for many years at The Times, and later became Deputy Fashion Editor of Conde Naste Traveler.  Drawing on her life-long love of design and food, she created ChilliHotChocolate.com . . .  an online kitchen and dining emporium.

Indian Made Easy, by Amandip Uppal
Photography by Lisa Linder
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Murdoch Books (8 Sept. 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1743368585
ISBN-13: 978-1743368589

Many thanks to Murdoch Books for sending me a copy for review.  Although I was sent a free copy I was not oblidged to write a positive review.  Any opinions are entirely my own.

So you saw that lovely roast pork I posted yesterday.  I do love a roast dinner, don't you?  I love the leftovers even more!  They are a beautiful ingredient to use to create another delicious meal from.  My mother was great at making pot pies from leftover roasts.   I like to do that also, but if I can create a delicious casserole, so much the better!  Delicious casserles like this Leftover Meat Escallope casserole!  You don't need to use pork in this, lamb, beef or chicken work equally as well.

There is nothing us Brits love more than a good old-fashioned BBQ. Whatever the weather, nothing beats gathering friends and family together to enjoy tasty grilled treats. This year’s BBQ Week runs from 23rd – 29th May, coinciding with the Bank Holiday in May and Memorial Day in the US,  providing the perfect opportunity to experiment with a variety of recipes, and lucky for you, Newman’s Own is here to lend a helping hand.

With a selection of sauces, rubs, marinades and dressings from Newman’s Own, you won’t want to BBQ without them. Get to the grill this BBQ Week and impress your guests with a selection of mouth-watering recipes ranging from honey turkey burgers to fiery bourbon chicken wings. (All the post-tax profits from Newman’s Own products go to the Newman’s Own Foundation, with over £1 million already being donated to a wide range of charities in the UK alone and over £250 million donated worldwide.)

Let's start off with Fiery Bourbon Chicken Wings served with a cooling Blue Cheese Dip!   I adore chicken wings.  If chicken wings are on the appetiser menu, they are my choice every time!

Another cookery book I received recently for review is Healthy Speedy Suppers, by Katriona MacGregor. Bursting with quick, simple and deliciously healthy recipes, Healthy Speedy Suppers will inspire anyone who feels too tired or busy to cook at the end of the day.


Katriona MacGregor started her Speedy Weeknight Suppers column for The Telegraph online in 2013, after a move back to exhausting London office life caused a slump in her diet. Resolving to break away from eating ready meals and cheese on toast every night, she began developing recipes that took no more than 40 minutes to make, were packed with good quality, wholesome ingredients, and tasted fantastic.



It is brimming over with advice for those who are short on time but stillwant to eat nutritiously and how to stock a healthy larder.  There are Six tasty chapters of recipes including . . .

 

Soups and Salads - Nineteen delicious recipes including such fabulous delights as Little Gem, Cucumber and Rocket Soup, Asparagus, Broccoli and Proscuitto Salad wih Caper and Herb Dressing, Roast Carrot, Tomato and Dill Soup, Prawn, Courgette and Coriander Salad.  Who knew healthy could be so delicious!



Poultry - Fourteen Tasty Delights . . .  Soy Roast Chicken Legs with Butternut Squash and Red Peppers, Pheasant, Coconut and Tamarind Curry, Honey and Mustard Glazed Poussin, Duck Breasts with Peaches and Balsamic Vinegar to name but a few.   Totally tempting to the tastebuds.



Meat - Sixteen tantalizingly delicious sounding meaty meals including Pork, Courgette and Broccoli Stir Fry, Paprika Pork with Red Peppers, Corned Beef Hash with Roast Tomatoes, Lamb with Bashed Peas and Tomato & Mint Salsa.



Fish -  Fifteen Oceanic Delights including  Sea Bass with Thai Vegetables, Moroccan Fish Tagine, Spicy prawn and Tomato Spaghetti, Garlic Roast Salmon with Courgettes and Olives.  Can't wait to get stuck in!

 

Grains, Pulses & Vegetables - 18 delicious recipes using these as their main ingredient.   Fabulous sounding dishes such as Chickpea and Black-eyed Bean Chilli, Courgette, Cherry Tomato and Goats Cheese Frittata, Quinoa, Courgette and Herb Cakes,  Butternut Squash, Chestnut and Sage Risotto to name but a few. 

And finally  . . .



Dips, Sauces & Dressings - Eight different dips, sauces and dressings including Butterbean and Pumpkin Seed Hummus, Grainy Mustard Mayonnaise, Beetroot and Walnut Dip and Watercress Sauce, just for starters.

No surprise . . .   no desserts.  Boo Hoo, but then again, unless you are talking about eating a fresh piece of fruit there are not too many healthy desserts are there really.

The recipes are fresh, seasonal and nutritious and showcase a broad range of influences from around the world. Ingredient lists are short, prep is kept to a minimum and the methods are relaxed, often featuring one-pot or one-tray cooking. All of them have been put to the test at home after a busy day in the office, and the ingredients are easy to find and can be scooped up on the way back from work. Ranging from the summery Strawberry, Fennel & Chicken Salad, to warming Aubergine & Red Lentil Curry and zesty Sea Bass with Thai Vegetable Noodles, there is something here for every mood, diet and seasons.

Most of the recipes are wheat and dairy free, and are all naturally low in fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates. Also included are a guide to larder essentials, suggestions for leftovers, ingredient substitutions and simple variations.  This is truly a one-stop cooking resource for stressed, busy people.

I, for one, can't wait to get stuck in!

 

Food writer and chef Katriona MacGregor has been cooking, thinking and writing about food since she was able to wield a wooden spoon. Leith’s trained, she has worked all over the country in restaurants, private houses and cookery schools both cooking and designing recipes.

If you are looking for a delicious way to cook some lovely spring lamb cutlets look no further!  I adapted this delicious recipe from  a cookery book of mine entitled,  "Secrets from a Country Kitchen" by Lucy Young. The original recipe called for studding two 7 chop rack of lamb with garlic and roasting them for about 25 minutes in a hot oven. I didn't have a rack of lamb, but the recipe looked so tasty that I really wanted to try it, and so I did what any good cook does . . .  I switched it out for what I did have which was  . . . 

 

I cooked a roast at the weekend and had plenty of leftovers afterwards, which doesn't make me sad in the least.  I love leftovers almost more than I love the original meals!!  In my opinion, leftovers taste twice as nice!  I don't understand people who throw away their leftovers.  They are missing out on real treasures!  Yesterday I turned some of them into a tasty Pot Pie!  NOBODY complained!

When I was a child Gammon/Ham was the centre piece of every Easter celebration dinner.  It was always served cold, thinly sliced, with mustard and mashed potatoes and vegetables on the side.  In all honesty as a child, I was far too full of chocolate and candy to really get too excited about Easter dinner.  There would have been a lemon pie for dessert though and that would have gotten me plenty excited.  (Its my favourite!)

 I thought it would be fun to share some healthy Saint Patrick's Day options today which I have gathered from around the www.   All look tasty.  All look simple.  All are very healthy, diabetic friendly and sure to a smile on your Saint Patrick's Day loving family's faces! So put on your green and lets eat some healthy grub!

A big Sunday tradition over here in the UK is the roast dinner.  People either cook one at home, or they go out to have one at a restaurant . . .  roast meat (beef, gammon, turkey, lamb, pork), with roast potatoes, veg, gravy etc.  Oh and Yorkshire puddings.  They're a must.   We never have a roast dinner on a Sunday.  By the time we get home from church and I call my  mom, etc., there just isn't the time and to be honest I am pretty tired by then.  So, I save our roast dinners for other days.  On Sundays, we usually have something which I have either remembered to put in the slow cooker before we left for church, or I whip up something quick like these Bacon & Cheese Omelettes.