I won’t lie to you. This is not a dish that’s light on calories. But my word it is worth every one of them. My fennel and sausage ragu is exactly what the doctor ordered for mid-February. It’s full of good, hearty ingredients and it can’t fail to cheer you up from the inside out on a chilly evening. This dish is all about the sausages; the better the sausages you can get your hands on, the better the finished dish. Head to your local farmers’ market, butcher or farm shop to get hold of something spicy and Italian, they may be a little more expensive but trust me, you won’t regret it.
Three Easy Soup Toppings with New Covent Garden Soup
I like to look forward to my lunches; whether I’m using up some leftovers to make a quick salad, sticking all sorts of ingredients in a sandwich or slurping on soup. Sometimes it can be very tempting to just grab the quickest thing in the kitchen but if I do that I am invariably disappointed at lunch time. So say hello to my three easy soup toppings which can all be made in less than five minutes, using ingredients you probably already have and can be made in advance to enjoy at work.
New Covent Garden Soups are currently encouraging everyone to revive their lunch life, something I was really keen to get involved with as I think lunch can make or break a day. Below are my three easy soup toppings and the soups that I chose to serve them with. You can get creative and add any of the toppings to any of the soups and have a go at putting your own twist on them too.
Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Buns)
While in Gothenburg last year I think I had a Kanelbullar every day. When it’s cold and windy outside sinking your teeth into one of these alongside a hot cup of coffee is just perfect. Slightly sticky, full of cinnamon and normally covered with nibbed sugar you can smell them before you see them in the cafés of Sweden. After trying a few different recipes I have come up with my own Kanelbullar recipe; the ideal balance of bread, wholesomeness and sweetness.
Ingredients
You will need (for 12 Kanelbullar):
- 40g butter
- 225ml milk
- 7g sachet fast action yeast
- 30g caster sugar
- Pinch salt
- 250g wholemeal flour
- 250g strong white bread flour
For the filling
Vegetarian Fish and Chips (with Halloumi)
This is, probably, one of my absolute favourite meals I have ever made. Not only does it look glorious (excuse self-praising) but it is absolutely delicious. A vegetarian fish and chips if you will; a real rival to that classic seaside dish using halloumi instead of fish. With my recipe there is no crispy batter, however, the outside of the halloumi gets all crispy and wonderful so you really don’t miss it. Plus, as there’s no deep fat frying involved it’s much more suited to a weeknight dinner as there’s no faffing around.
Lunch at Browns, Windsor
This was a gifted meal.
I love Windsor. Partly because it’s both Windsor and, after a skip over the bridge, Eton. We went last weekend for lunch at Browns, Windsor but before we ate we had some exploring to do. As a compact town there’s plenty of wandering around shops that can be accomplished in no time at all but we opted for grabbing a drink and promenading up the Long Walk. On a frosty morning, looking back at Windsor Castle with a warm coffee in hand it was really rather beautiful.
Browns itself is in a great location overlooking the river. After ascertaining where the restaurant was we took a walk down said river and saw all the swans, geese and ducks. It sounds twee and somewhat romantic but I really don’t like geese, or swans. They honk. As you walk up the river you pass by some quite remarkable, if not small, landmarks. The first of which is the many-arched railway bridge. If you walk forwards through the arches you can carry on up the river, turn left you’ll end up at the brewery and just behind you is a life sized replica of a Hurricane plane. Turn back around and you can walk back to the restaurant through Alexandra Gardens; all that in just a morning.
Chocolate Rolled Oat Biscuits
Part biscuit and part flapjack, these Chocolate Rolled Oat Biscuits are a doddle to make. All mixed in one bowl and baked in one dish; minimum fuss and washing up, maximum baking satisfaction. I like that these biscuits aren’t too sweet and the generous amount of oats used means they are really filling. I’m not sure if they are technically a flapjack or a biscuit though; the lack of honey or golden syrup isn’t very flapjack-y but then the oaty flavour is so familiar it’s hard to believe it’s not a flapjack! I am sticking with calling them a biscuit on account of the crunch.
Chicken, Olive and Artichoke Stew with Risotto
I do like a tin of food. There’s something very humble about tinned fruit and vegetables particularly; and I am not one to overlook anything that comes in a can. My favourite canned good of all is the artichoke. That’s how this recipe for Chicken, Olive and Artichoke Stew with Risotto came about. Artichokes are very expensive, covered in oil (normally sunflower rather than nice olive oil) and quite small if you buy them chilled or in a jar; but in a can they can be half the price, bigger and once drained you get more for your money. So I wanted to make something comforting, filling and delicious and make the most of the wonderful artichoke.
Smoked Chicken Fried Rice
I bought some smoked chicken from a local farm shop. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with it but it sounded too tasty not to try it. I planned to serve it with some cheese and chutneys but somehow I never got round to it. I certainly wasn’t going to waste it and I thought, rather than serving it alongside something else, why not make it the star of the dish? Smoked chicken fried rice sounded like just the thing for a simple, no hassle budget meal in a flash. Turns out it’s even better than it sounds.
Beef Stew with Horseradish Dumplings
I made this stew on New Year’s Day. I can’t think of many things as warming and comforting as a big bowl of slow cooked food. My beef stew with horseradish dumplings was made up of almost everything I had leftover in my fridge and cupboards; happily simmered away with some beef shin. A delicious, make-the-most-of-everything, homely stew for four people. Trust me on the ingredients; one or two may sound a little out of place but they really add to the dish.
Ingredients
You will need (for four):
2016 Best Bits
Those funny few days between Christmas and New Year are the perfect time for a bit of reflection. I like to look back at everything I’ve been up to and where I’ve been, what (if anything!) I’ve learned and achieved in the last year and, most importantly, what I’ve been eating! So this post contains my absolute favourite recipes from this year and some of the best places I have visited.
Beer, Mustard and Onion Macaroni Cheese
To cook up this take on macaroni cheese I made a beer bechamel; it turned out brilliantly and this is ideal for a cold winter night. Full of cheese, mustard and caramelised onions rounded off with flavourful beer. Recipe here.
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