Blueberry and Lemon Crumble Cake
This is one of those very rare moments in which I draw rather direct inspiration and part of a recipe from someone else. However, there is no shame to be had in this particular case, since when my mother showed the photo to me I knew at once that a similar result had to be achieved. Of course, the recipe has been altered a little; the original contained no blueberries, was party to an orange instead of a lemon and lacked oats, not to mention the fact that the quantities are a little different. Still, enough was drawn from this particular recipe to warrant a mention – thank you, Mail on Sunday and each and every one of your entrails, most suited to middle aged women.
Slow-Cooked Beef Curry and the Olympics
I’m both happy and desperately sad that this recipe is only just reaching my blog now – over a year since its beginning. It is by far my favourite curry; it is so simple, yet absolutely rammed full of richness and flavour. Indeed, the spice list for this particular concoction may be a little shorter than that of other curries, but the quality brought to the dish by the beef is unrivalled. Not only is beef a far more pleasing ingredient to cook with than chicken breast, the most overrated cut of meat there is, the fat found in braising beef has the happy effect of thickening and enriching the sauce. When served with my recently posted mango chutney this is one recipe not to be missed, assuming you’re not a vegetarian.
Mango Chutney with a Hint of Kick
If there’s one condiment that pairs itself almost universally well with food of a spicy disposition it has to be mango chutney. The devilishly-difficult-to-rival flavour of well-made mango chutney manages to behave amiably with similar ingredients, no matter how slight their shared characteristics may be. There is also an element of experimental fun to the preparation of any chutney, mango or otherwise. You see, this particular chutney is based upon my own personal tastes and fancies; yours needn’t be entirely the same. Indeed, the only ingredients vital to the success of this recipe are the mangoes, vinegar and sugar – all else can, but shouldn’t, be done without. Though, I would highly recommend the use of black onion seeds since they always manage to take mango chutney to the next level, or even the one after that, wherever that may be.
Potato, Pea and Mint Quesadillas
Fear not, it is perfectly clear to me that Mexican food isn’t composed entirely of a long string of dips and side dishes, such as guacamole and refried beans. Indeed, how strange it would be to have a nation of perennial nibblers living among us. So, safe in the knowledge that there exists, on this planet, no colony of human sized rodents in possession of an immoral number of carrot sticks, I embarked upon the first “proper” dish of the ‘Frugal Does Mexican’ series.
New Potato, Spring Onion and Wild Garlic Salad
The new potato season is now in full swing and since Jersey Royals are one of the true treats of late spring in Britain, it seems the perfect time to post my very first potato salad. However, Jersey Royals aren’t the only seasonal ingredients in this dish; the wild garlic which spends its time ironically held in captivity at the front of my garden is just coming into bloom and spring onions are continuing to live up to their name.
Sarah’s Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)
Here it is; my second recipe in the ‘Frugal does Mexican’ series, the name by which it is henceforth to be known. This recipe was a request made by Sarah C., the girlfriend of Katherine’s older brother, Tom. Sarah and Tom were the two who coerced us into visiting Wahaca in the first place, though I’m glad they did so. As I have already mentioned in my previous recipe for guacamole, the food at Wahaca was of a most agreeable quality indeed and their refried beans weren’t to be faulted. Though, I have since learnt that their claim that refried beans are cooked twice for flavour is a little erroneous. You see, as I understand it, ‘refried’ is a mistranslation of ‘refritos’ which simply means well-cooked. Indeed, one needn’t fry them at all, for something similar can be produced by baking. Tex-mex cuisine ought really to see a doctor regarding its misnomers.
Smoked Bacon and Ricotta Ravioli with Apple Sauce
As promised, little over a week ago, here is my post for homemade ravioli and what good ravioli it was too! As expected, it turned out to be a little trickier than my previous attempt at tagliatelle, but as you can see, the end result wasn’t entirely offensive. The only reason ravioli is made more difficult than average pasta is that one must roll one’s dough out to the pasta machine’s thinnest setting, which only serves to pique one’s chances of manhandling it. Still, after a couple of tribulations, we were each faced with a scrumptious plate of rather interesting pasta.
