Showing posts from January, 2012

Fish is the Dish Challenge 4: Haddock Curry

When I mentioned Haddock Curry on Twitter I got a few 'urghs' from people....but what you have to think here is kedgeree. Curry and white fish really do work amazingly well together- try this you will be convinced I promise! So, in this latest Fish is the Dish pack we received some lovely North Sea haddock fillets from Delish Fish based in Scotland. The fillets come individually vacuum packed which really helps with quantity control! I used the curry recipe that was provided to us in the pack, but changed the method slightly to make it quicker and easier to put together. Because the haddock cooks so quickly it really is a 20 minute meal so perfect for a weeknight! print recipe Haddock Curry by Beth Sachs January-27-2012 serve with rice and naan bread Ingredients Glug of Olive Oil 1 Onion, sliced 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped 1 Red Chili, chopped Thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and grated 4 TBSP Tikka Masala Paste Tin of Coconut


Spicy Carrot, Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

I didn't expect much from this soup but it really packed a punch and I've been enjoying it for lunch this week as per the weekly meal plan . Baking the sweet potatoes in the oven before adding the soft flesh to the soup really helped with both the flavour and texture but it was the coconut milk that made it lovely and silky. The green chili (which I didn't de-seed before using) gave it a heady kick, but if you don't like a lot of heat you can just leave it out, or use half a de-seeded chili instead. print recipe Spicy Carrot, Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup by Beth Sachs January-25-2012 A winter warmer Ingredients 4 Sweet Potatoes, halved and flesh scored 1 Onion, chopped 1 Green Chili, chopped (I left the seeds in for added heat) 2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped 300g Carrots, peeled and chopped 1 Litre Vegetable Stock 1 Tin of Coconut Milk Salt and Pepper Instructions Step 1: Preheat the oven to 200c/180fan and place th


Creme Brulée

I received lots of lovely foodie related gifts for my birthday last week, but the cooks blow torch and 4 Portmerion creme brulée dishes were top of my list. I'd never attempted creme brulee's before, partly because I lacked the necessary blow torch (you wouldn't get the same effect under a grill) and partly because I 'thought' it was complicated. As it turns out it really wasn't. On Saturday I set about making the creme brulée's and what I ended up with was one of the most wonderful creamy desserts I had ever tasted. Delicately flavoured with vanilla and with the all important crunchy sugar crust. The beauty with these is that you can make them (barring caramelising the crust) up to a day before and store them in the fridge until needed. When you're  ready to serve just pull out your blow torch to caramelise the sugary crust. Now I've cracked Creme Brulée's I'm wondering what else I can use my blow torch for. Suggestions most we


Goats Cheese, Sun-dried Tomato and Caramelised Onion Pizza

I go through phases with pizza toppings but this one is my current favourite - tangy goats cheese, sweet caramelised onions and sun-dried tomatoes with a few green basil leaves for colour. Yum! The dough quantities I've given here make enough for 3 medium pizzas which works out perfectly in this house, 1 for hubby, 1 for me and 1 for the kids to share. Having one each has the added benefit of being able to put what you want on it. I always make my dough in the breadmaker on the pasta dough function  which takes just 14 minutes and with cooking taking less than 10 minutes you can have a homemade pizza on the table in less than 40 minutes. If you didn't need the full quantity of dough it freezes really well. Just roll it out, put it on a baking sheet and open freeze. It will also keep in the fridge for a day or two as well. What are your favourite pizza toppings? print recipe Goats Cheese, Caramelised Onion and Sun Dried Tomato Pizza by Beth Sachs January-


Easy Chorizo and King Prawn Paella

This is not an authentic paella by any stretch of the imagination but it is very quick and easy and most importantly tastes absolutely amazing. I've made a similar dish before, which I posted a few years ago but I've tweaked the recipe somewhat from the original version. It's now ram-packed with flavour and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end of cooking lifts it even further. A dish like this eaten on a cold, crisp January day really starts reminding me that the longer and warmer days of Spring and Summer are just around the corner...and they can't come soon enough. Roll on the clocks changing I say and surely we are due a hot one this year?! What dishes do you turn to in the Winter to remind yourself of long hot summer days? You might also like my Gambas Pil Pil recipe on my other food blog Effortless Foodie! It's a traditional Spanish tapas recipe, perfect for summer! print recipe Easy Chorizo and King Prawn Paella


Easy Chicken and Vegetable Curry

This is a semi cheats curry as it does use shop bought curry paste.....however, with a few careful additions to pep up the flavour, you can produce a quick, easy and really tasty curry that's got twice the flavour of any supermarket bought one. You can use whatever vegetables you have around, in this case I used 2 onions, 2 red peppers and a handful of frozen peas, along with the diced chicken thighs. Cauliflower and sweet potato are always good in curries as is squash and spinach. Prawns can be used instead of chicken if you prefer. Pretty much perfect Friday night food. Have a lovely weekend - it's back to ballet, swimming and football so it's going to be a busy one here. print recipe Easy Chicken and Vegetable Curry by Beth Sachs January-13-2012 Serve with rice and naans Ingredients 2 Onions, sliced 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped Thumb size piece of Ginger, peeled and chopped 1 Red Chilli, deseeded and chopped 2 Red Peppers,


Caramelised Red Onion, Feta and Bacon Tart

Perfect for lunches, this caramelised Red Onion, Feta and Bacon Tart is super simple to make and packs a punch in taste.


Fat Free and Reduced Sugar Sponge Cake

An easy Fat Free Sponge Cake. Slimming World and Weight Watchers friendly! Please note although there is no butter or margerine in this cake, there is a small amount of fat from the eggs.


Ultimate Chilli Con Carne

This is my all time ultimate chilli recipe. It's hearty, warming and packs a punch is flavour. Serve with rice and tortilla chips.


Roasted Pumpkin, Red Onion and Goats Cheese Frittata

Frittata's are my 'go to' meal when I'm trying to use up leftovers.... and thanks to Christmas I have an awful lot of cheese still left in the fridge crying out to be eaten, in this case some welsh goats cheese. The pumpkin was derived more locally from my Mother in Laws allotment, which is still producing lots of lovely produce even in January and the free range eggs were from a farm gate just outside the village. I usually have a slice of frittata with some green salad, but hubby and the kids prefer chips - depends how healthy you want to be I guess. Whatever you choose, enjoy! print recipe Roasted Pumpkin, Red Onion and Goats Cheese Frittata by Beth Sachs January-4-2012 A great way to use up eggs. Serve with salad Ingredients 1 Red Onion, Sliced 1 Garlic Clove, chopped 1/2 Roasted Pumpkin, cooled and cubed (I roast my pumpkin in wedges at 180c for about 40 minutes, drizzled with oil and seasoned well) 100g Goats Cheese, crumble


A Really Useful Salad Dressing

Now that Christmas is over for another year I'm all of a sudden craving lighter meals... don't take this to mean I'm on a diet  - I'm not, but my body just craves salads after all the rich meaty food of the festive season. So to help speed up the process of salad assembly I make a huge batch of this dressing and store it in a jar in the fridge (it will keep for a good month) and then everytime I make a salad (which is quite often) I can just drizzle a little over, whether it be a hot smoked salmon salad (see photo below), a green salad, rice salad, pasta salad, potato salad - I've yet to find anything that is doesn't work with. print recipe A Really Useful Salad Dressing by Beth Sachs January-2-2012 This salad dressing can be used for green salads, rice salads, pasta salads and potato salads. Ingredients 120ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 TBSP White Wine Vinegar 4 TSP Lemon Juice 1 TSP Sugar 1 TSP Dijon Mustard 1 Gar