From time to time I get a real craving for something sweet after dinner. I could go and raid the biscuit tin; I have bourbons in there presently and they would go down a treat. But actually, I want something a little healthier and that’s where these mint, orange and raspberry ice lollies come in. They take moments to make and I can grab one from the freezer to cool down in this lovely summery weather we’re having and at the same time satisfy my sweet tooth. I have been growing some mint in the garden beautifully named ‘chocolate mint’ so I used some of that, you can use whatever mint you can get your hands on.
Food Highlights in Scotland
Apart from a weekend in Edinburgh I hadn’t been to Scotland before. A few weeks ago we set off for a stay in central Scotland, overlooking a loch, naturally. The weather was exceptional for the whole week we were there; blue skies and sunshine every day! The views, sights, towns and villages were all fantastic but the thing that really stood out to me was the food. It seemed that whether you were in a little cafe or a restaurant the food was almost always brilliant. I wanted to share some of the food highlights in Scotland I found on our travels; there was a lot of cake and thorough quality testing.
Roasted Aubergine and Tomato Pasta
There have been several aubergine themed recipes on the meal plan and blog recently, I just can’t seem to eat enough of them! The combination of aubergine and tomatoes is a hard one to beat, it’s one of my absolute favourites. Even better when the veggies are roasted to intensify the flavour and served with cheese. My roasted aubergine and tomato pasta is the culmination of many attempts to get it just right. Dicing the aubergine up like this not only means a quicker cooking time but more aubergine surface area to soak up all that olive oil.
Jerk Carrots with Rice and Beans
Jerk seasoning has to be one of my favourites. No matter what time of year it is there’s always room for something to be cooked up with it; sticky jerk chicken in the autumn, a fiery casserole in the winter or when the new season arrives, jerk carrots. This recipe came out of a need to use up a whole load of carrots and I certainly didn’t want to make soup. I can see it working really well on the BBQ as a spicy veggie side in the coming weeks too. If you can get hold of new season spring carrots they are sweeter and smaller than carrots available later in the year and are ideal for this recipe.
Tuscan Sausage Ragu
The food in Italy was everything I wanted it to be and Tuscany in particular was filled with incredible locations to eat amazing food. We went to a restaurant in Montepulciano on our first night in Tuscany; it was in an old wine cellar and the food was sensational. I ordered the Tuscan Sausage Ragu and along with a glass of local red wine and Italian hospitality it was such a memorable meal. I wanted to try and recreate the flavours, if not the ambiance, at home and my version of this sausage ragu has been through a few different variations until I’ve reached the recipe below. It’s not exactly the same but it’s wonderfully delicious in its own right.
Miso Glazed Aubergine with Pickled Cucumber Salad
I’m not ashamed. I will admit it. I am an aubergine-aholic. Babaganoush, parmigiana, in a curry, moussaka, stirred through pasta there isn’t any meal I don’t love which has aubergines in. This recipe may sound familiar, as I have made something similar before, but this miso glazed aubergine when combined with a quick pickled cucumber salad really is a match made in heaven. Depending on the size of your aubergines this takes around half an hour to make, a little longer if they are large and need more time in the oven.
My Top 7 Easy Weeknight Dinners
So I don’t know about you but when it comes to weeknight cooking I am looking for something tasty, easy and quick to cook. I simply don’t have the time or energy to cook something which takes hours, so I don’t. Just because something is quick to cook, doesn’t mean it can’t be balanced or delicious. Below are my top 7 easy weeknight dinners; recipes that I turn to again and again, maybe with a little variation in the ingredients here and there. I class something as ‘quick’ if it takes 30 minutes or less from start to finish; something is ‘easy’ if there’s less than two cooking pans on the go and ‘tasty’, well, you’ll have to be the judge of that.
Sticky Chilli Chicken with Avocado Rice Salad
I have to admit that I turn to a chicken dinner in some form or other most weeks. Especially as the evenings get lighter and warmer as it’s an easy meal to pull together and so flexible on the ingredients used too. My latest offering, this sticky chilli chicken with avocado rice salad, is full of colour and vibrant flavour and ready in 30 minutes. Trust me on the grapefruit. If you don’t fancy using chicken in this then I think tofu, halloumi or aubergine would be great alternatives.
West Coast Sweden Road Trip
We learnt a few things about Sweden while we were there. Firstly, if you drive on the smaller roads there’s hardly anyone else driving the same way. Secondly, if you like lakes, red houses and pine trees then Sweden is the place for you. Lastly, it doesn’t seem to matter where you are, all the food is brilliant. Embarking on a west coast Sweden road trip meant we had to consider a few things we don’t normally have to think about on other road trips: ferry crossings and waterproofs being the two most important.
Chipotle Sweetcorn Hash
I love looking in my fridge and cupboards and finding ingredients and flavours to try together. Recently I wanted to try adding chipotle chillies to more than just chilli con carne and I thought it would be worth trying a pinch with sweetcorn. This chipotle sweetcorn hash came out of a mish mash of ingredients I happened to have to hand and the end result was delicious. Sticky, sweet, spicy and moreish I’ll be making this one again soon!
Ingredients
You will need (for two):
- Knob of butter
- Rapeseed oil (for cooking)
- 1 small onion, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp chipotle chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 mug frozen sweetcorn
- 300g potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1cm cubes
- Juice ½ lemon
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper
- Plain yoghurt
- Small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Method
Heat the butter and a glug of oil together in a frying pan and add the onions. Fry for around 10 minutes on a medium heat before adding the garlic and all the spices and oregano. Continue to fry for a few more minutes.
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