Categories
Baking British Recipes

Chicken and Leek Pasties

Chicken and Leek Pasty Recipe

Pasties are the classic British portable lunch – much like calzoni in Italy – the most famous variety of which is almost certainly the Cornish pasty. They are eaten all over the UK and sold in every bakery from Land’s End to John o’Groats – the two points farthest from one another on our great island (876 miles). Considered Cornwall’s “national” dish and geographically protected – much like champagne – the pasty is thought to have been taken up outside of England’s western most county following the emigration of Cornish miners in the late nineteenth century, along with Rugby Union. As good as this spread of British culinary tradition to the diaspora is for receiving countries, I can’t help but feel the South Pacific countries have become a little too good at rugby.

Categories
Healthy Eating Recipes Soups

Broccoli, Cauliflower and Leek Soup

vegetarian, healthy meals, frugal, leeks

If there’s one thing that my blog has taught me over the course of the past few weeks, it’s that almost every ingredient can be enjoyed by all, if only it’s prepared in an attractive manner. For instance, my recipes for roasted sweet potato and parsnip soup and root vegetable mash have already proved that parsnip can be enjoyable. Likewise, this soup recipe has largely transformed my once obnoxious attitude toward the cauliflower.

The main suspect in the case against the cauliflower is the somewhat ubiquitous cauliflower cheese. You see, this loathsome dish tends to be one of two things; insipid or watery. However, it could be considered somewhat brutish to judge what was once my least favourite brassica, by a largely awful dish. Instead, why not follow my lead and enjoy the poor vegetable in this exquisite soup?

Categories
Healthy Eating Italian Recipes Spring Summer

Leek and Pea Risotto

Leek and Pea Risotto Recipe

You know, for someone who has never been a massive fan of the garden pea, I’m writing an awful lot of recipes that include them. One doesn’t usually ever come to terms with a pulse that was once forced upon you by a primary school dinner lady.

Nightmares were had; you can be assured of that. Indeed, they still aren’t particularly loved in this, very specific, corner of Wales – they taste a little too green for my liking – but it seems to me that their positive traits far outweigh their negative.

For instance, peas may be in possession of a rather suspicious green taste, but they are also ridiculously cheap and healthy. In my eyes, this paragraph is testament to just how good my pea and mint soup was – its taste was incredible, yet its main constituent was the humble garden pea.

Categories
Healthy Eating Recipes Vegan Vegetarian

Butternut Squash and Leek Soup

Before we get onto the soup may I ask you, my beloved readers, whether your blog has also become akin to a full time job? I seem to find myself spending hours making sure every post is as good as it can be, commenting on other blogs, replying to comments on my blog – it really can take it out of you. Having said that, I’m still very much enjoying my blogging experience and shan’t be going anywhere for what I hope is a considerable period of time. However, I may no longer have the time to reply to every single comment simply because I’m now getting so many of the damn things I can’t keep up. Actually, I say “the damn things” but actually I love each and every one as it means you’ve actually taken an interest.

Categories
Healthy Eating Recipes Vegetarian

Leek and Chilli Lentils

Lentils

One of the most enjoyable things about being a cook is “inventing” your own dishes however simple they may be. Recently I’ve been following more and more recipes as I try new food and new cuisines; however I think it’s important to keep one’s true creative credentials. Creative flair is what separates those who are cooks from those who can cook. I’m not by any stretch of the imagination saying I have masses of imagination and skill, but I can at least promise that this dish is my own creation and that it went down a treat!