organic kitchen garden
We’re finally tucking into courgettes from the garden, I haven’t bought carrots since June, and I have more beetroots than I really know what to do with! There are also little cucumbers and tomatoes finally forming on the plants, and as our chilli seeds didn’t sprout in the end, we bought a couple of chilli… Continue reading August 2018
Anyone who knows me well will know that I love pie. I love pie with creamy mashed potato, doused in thick gravy until the mash begins to dissolve in the liquid and the pie crust starts to soften (to my mum’s sheer horror). I love cutting into fresh, crisp pastry, homemade when I have the… Continue reading 3 things that make a perfect pie & my 3 favourite pie recipes
This is an indulgent and warming recipe to treat yourself to on cold nights. For me, chicken and mushroom pie is ultimate comfort food, and is full of nostalgia. As a child, my favourite dinners were always the kind which came with gravy and veg. In fact at one stage, I wouldn’t even entertain the… Continue reading Chicken and Mushroom Pie Recipe
In the winter, all I want to eat is comforting, hearty food, and especially over Christmas, I probably eat a little too much of it! In January I still want the comfort and to feel full, but with a bit of health and a lot of veg thrown in. It’s a great way to recover from the over-indulging, and I always feel better when I eat better. I don’t know if that’s psychological or not, but it’s true!
There are lots of different recipes to choose from, but these are 3 of my staples which I fall back on time after time. They all pack a huge veggie punch, and don’t feel like diet food either! I’ve included a stir-fry, soup and curry recipe. The stir-fry is quick and easy to cook, perfect for staving off any Chinese takeaway cravings. The carrot soup is warming, and ideal to cook in a batch so there’s some for lunch the next day (or the whole week!) too, and a veggie curry which is one of my favourite Friday or Saturday night treats, and much healthier than ordering in.
Crammed with sellers of all things food and drink, from larger companies to small artisanal producers, there is definitely something here for anyone who likes eating food. Which is everyone, right?!
This is a quick and simple dish, perfect when you’re in a hurry. Enjoy with grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper. Cooking time 20 minutes (trust me, it can be done!)
I cook and eat the food I love and that those around me will enjoy (hopefully!). I don’t often follow trends or diets – I don’t want to force a shoe that doesn’t fit me. It’s just not worth it. It doesn’t make them bad diets or bad ideas, it just means they aren’t meant for me personally. Our likes and dislikes keep the world interesting and full of variety, and keep inventors dreaming up new tasty ideas. I don’t believe that food is a one-size-fits-all situation!
However, it is great to keep updated with new ideas. You never know when inspiration will strike, or what new delicious things you might discover! So with that in mind, I’ve had a look at the predicted food trends for 2018 from company Whole Foods, as curated by their team of super trend spotters. I’ve picked my top 5 trends that I’m most excited to find out more about, and here’s a quick round up the 5, with my verdict.
Now that Halloween is over, the anticipation of Christmas festivities has moved to centre stage, with shops already sparkling with decorations and gifts. It’s clichéd, I know, but I really do love autumn and winter, especially now, in this little post-Halloween, pre-Christmas limbo. Crunchy leaves in vibrant red, copper and bright gold litter the ground outside, waiting to be walked in, kicked about, enjoyed, and jumpers and boots have made a convincing comeback in my wardrobe. There aren’t daily frosts just yet, but I can’t wait to see the beautiful silver spray of delicate, glittering lace over leaves and spiders’ webs in the morning sun. I don’t think I have long to wait. This morning I had to de-mist the car windows with the heating on max for a good 5 minutes before I left for work.
Before holly, trees, presents and cards, my first whiff of Christmas in the air is always signalled by the reappearance of mince pies in my life. Usually in early November, hopefully sooner. The garish boxes appear in the supermarkets far earlier, but, call me fussy, these can never match up to a home baked mince pie. I’m talking dreamy wafts of Christmas seeping through the house, leading to bites of crumbly, buttery pastry melting away in my mouth to reveal tangy fruits, rich spices and a hint of alcohol, all rounded off with the sweet drizzle of glace icing over the top. The pie in my hand almost falls apart in surrender: ‘eat me!’, and the filling is jewelled with glace cherries so red it’s almost offensive. But it’s Christmas: red goes.
Rich and indulgent – everything a celebratory meal should be.