Hey, guys! I am bringing back the food chats, whoop whoop!! I have struggled to find 4 dishes that I have made and loved, especially since moving, I have not really cooked anything new or fantastic. However, I found two oldies that I found yummy and made recently, and then two new ones I actually just discovered. Which is why I can say I can bring you this post:)
I fancied chatting all things food and I hope you get some new food ideas because I love finding some, especially adventurous ones (to a certain extent of course, I am not that skilled). I like quick and easy meals, with the occasional toughie thrown in.
Covid is also getting worse so I really need things to pass the time because I am starting to not want to see people again due to the risk. Finding new food to cook is for sure something I want to do, so you will see another food post coming your way again soon!
All recipes are linked in their titles, clicking on them should do the job and take you straight there.
Enjoy my fellow readers.
Dish 1 - Pork Paprika Pasta
This combination of flavours is so good and I really am a fan of this dish. I have made it a few times and have made small adjustments here and there, as the more you make something, the more you notice aspects that could be different or if there is something small missing.
The pork's tenderness alongside the cream is just the perfect combination but due to the immense amount of cream, it can be quite rich. Just something to keep in mind. Feedback from my parents, they both liked it and could not think of anything that they disliked. I found it quite bland the first time but after a few changes, the subtle additions really make all the difference.
Tips: The recipe originally suggests tagliatelle but I opted just for plain old pasta as I just found that easier to do with the rest of the ingredients. I could see how the other pasta would work well so I will for sure give it a go another time. The main tips I would recommend would be to add in some onion and garlic as a base in the pan before adding anything else. This helps to bring some flavours throughout the dish and these ingredients are always good to add to give more texture. I also changed one teaspoon to smoked paprika just to boost up the paprika taste. I saw these tips on the recipe reviews so I thought it would be a good route to go down. And it was, so I would definitely use this for this dish but also for other dishes as a starting point. A little sprinkle of coriander goes a long way also, to provide a break between the rich flavours.
Dish 2 - Hake and Chorizo Stew
This is one of the new discoveries. I brought some fish and needed a recipe to go alongside it. Kind of a random way to go about it, normally the best way would be to source a recipe and then buy the ingredients. However, it all worked out good and I think I recall we had everything in the cupboard so it was a win win.
It was such a wholesome meal and definitely one of for a cold day. I do love a good old stew and a fish one is different to the usual meat ones you find. I bought the fish from the local shop in Ireland and it is freshly sourced so that is always a nice touch. They fish regularly here and I love the fact you can buy some fish off the counter. Although, not recently due to the stormy weather. I find fresh fish is so much more flavoursome and meaty, which goes well in a stew.
I am steering more towards trying different fish these days, especially being here in Ireland. It is a new life so new food comes with it. Tips: The potatoes took a little longer to cook due to the size of my casserole dish. They did not fully soak into the liquid and this made them take slightly longer than the recipe said. Just something to keep an eye on if you choose to do it this way. The recipe suggested to leave the skins on but I found this rather unappetising. I ended up pulling them off and discarding them; looking at them made the dish slightly less enjoyable. Next time I think I would try it without the skins, just to see the difference and to see if it made the dish better. Regardless, still a yummy scrummy dish. Finally, like the previous dish, adding that little scattering of coriander polishes it off.
Dish 3 - Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
One I have included before, but I just had to talk about it again as it is just the best dish. This dish mainly like the title says, has a nutty theme. It reminds me and my parents of a Pad Thai and it really is delicious. The crunchiness of the vegetables with the chicken and noddle's is what I would call a smooth combo. It melts in your mouth and really just leaves you satisfied. It is so creamy and I do like to opt more more for creamy dishes as they are the kind of flavours and textures I enjoy. The spring onions on top, really add that tasty crunch and also give a refreshing touch alongside the rich creamy nut flavour.
I have changed the way I do the butter but the cashew nut butter is still the only challenge of this recipe. It is quite time consuming so I try and ensure I make it first, this way it is all ready for the main part which is so quick. This is the recipe I use to make it: Cashew Nut Butter . I adjusted the measurements according to the stir fry recipe. I was cooking for three so I halved the ingredients so it would be for one, then added it onto the original ones for two so it would create enough for three. That was not too confusing, was it?
With the measurements of the cashews I needed for three (150 grams), I roasted them because they were raw and then blended them in a Nutri Bullet with around two dessert spoons of melted coconut oil. You can add more as you go, depending on how well the butter is mixing and if it needs more to become smooth. I kind of judged mine based on the recipe itself and how many grams to coconut oil they had, and then lessening it to what I wanted because I needed a smaller amount.
Tips: Having a Food Processor will more than likely make the whole process of the nut butter easier, as blending with the Nutri Bullet just takes so much longer; you have to scrape the edges down and it can be quite tedious. I also added sesame seeds on top at the end for a crunch, this was suggested by the mother, and a good suggestion it was. It was the perfect addition, not for flavour, more to balance everything out. When I discussed it previously, I stated how I did not like the crunchiness of the veg. Well, I can say now that I have grown to love that! It makes the veg stand out more against the nuttiness.
Dish 4 - The dessert: Chocolate Biscuit Cake
A rather odd looking pudding, but an extremely tasty one. You all know my track record with puddings and how the easier ones are best for me... well this is exactly that. Basic. That is all I need and I love it.
I have had quite the adventure with this particular one. I made it a couple of times in the UK before I made this wonderful blog and it failed both times. It did not harden despite refrigerating it and it crumbled instantly. However, that did not mean it was not scrummy. It was good in its own unique way.
Then we move on to making it here in Ireland, we only brought a few cooking books with us and this recipe was loose amongst the other books. We have made it twice so far and it turned out so differently and how it was actually supposed to. Hooray for Lucy's success! Even though I do not have a clue why it worked and what was different to how I did it in the UK. The only possibility I can think is I did not refrigerate it for long enough or I did not mix it for long enough, resulting in a mixture that lacked thickness. Who knows? At least it worked eh.
Comparing the two times I made it recently there was only one difference. You can see it in the first picture that the cake come out of the fridge with a layer of fat across the chocolate. Do not get me wrong, it was still amazing but the second time it did not do this. Anyone have any ideas? All I can think is I stirred it more on the heat because the chocolate did not melt properly... I am not a dessert connoisseur so I will just accept and move on.
The recipe will be attached at the end because it is a hand held one of my mothers. :)
Tips: After making it four times, I know now from adding different amounts of biscuit, that they really do need to be crushed in each layer to create a more evened out balance of chocolate and biscuit. I was feeling lazy one time and did not crumble them and the ratio turned out a bit off; there was thick chocolate in some places that made it more rich. Having more biscuit crumbled breaks that up and provides a refreshing taste. It is also so easy with four ingredients and a little less sugary than my usual brownies. This can be a bad thing tho as I want to eat more lol.
Another thing that I mentioned above is that I had to double stir the chocolate because it had not melted properly. I would say make sure the cream is fully about to bubble, it can be hard to time this right so I usually get mother to assist, but this way the chocolate will then fully melt in. I am sure it does not matter too much but just something to know when cooking it, especially for the first time. Finally, I went with the tip on the recipe with using plain Digestive Biscuits, the only real reason for this being I have not heard of Nice Biscuits?? Is that just me? lol
Four amazing recipes that I have made over the last few months. What a difference good food can make. I hope you all enjoy and feel free to leave feedback on here or on my Insta, which is linked at the top of my blog. I hope you all enjoyed and did not get too hungry while reading.
I went to Galway a few weeks ago and I was wondering if anyone would be interested in a blog post about my trip there? About the hotel we stayed in, the food and the things we did? It was my first time there so I wondered if it could be a fun post to write if anyone wants to visit. I will do a poll on my Twitter to get some answers, so click here to vote in it: My Twitter. Looking forward to hearing from you all!
Stay safe and well, Lucy xoxoxo
Maybe it is getting serious enough that I should wear an apron? Hehe. I know what is going on my Christmas list...
Cake Recipe:
Mine does look a little different to this mainly because the biscuit is not crumbled but also because we did not have our usual tin, because as you guessed, we moved. This meant I had to buy one and the only one I found was quite long, hence why my version of the cake looks more rectangular lol! I say appearances do not matter, taste is the most important factor!
Comentários