Hellooo people! How do you like the new layout? I have been feeling much better so I decided to do a small update to the blog by snazzing it up a little. I really am happy with how it turned out, the white making everything feel brighter and more appealing to the eye. I was only just able to work out how to use certain settings as since I had started the blog last year, I found the Wix Site hard to navigate, until now of course. It is probably due to the fact I actually took the time to sit and figure it out ( normally I am quite impatient if things are not simple lol ).
Anyway, today we have a food post as I have done a few new recipes since my last so I thought it was time to share them with you all :) Enjoy.
Note: The recipes are linked in blue.
Sausage Risotto.
I am not really sure why, but I have never had a risotto and it was only recently when I discovered another dish which required risotto rice that made my mum ask if I wanted to try making one. I think I always just assumed they were not for me or that I would not like one which if I am honest, used to be quite a common thing for me to say in the past. However, since I have been branching out, I am usually quite open about trying new dishes so when mum suggested it, I accepted and we have now cooked it a few times and it is definitely a tasty meal.
We do not follow a specific recipe but I have looked online and here is one similar: Sausage and White Wine Risotto. It is such a simple and versatile recipe that you can really just bung in whatever veg you want, along with any mixture of spices that you feel taste the best with sausage.
Tips: 1. Make sure that the sausage is browned enough before you add in the rice and the stock, that way you know the sausage will retain its flavour once cooked through at the end. Otherwise once the water and rice go in, it has not really got enough heat to brown it any further.
2. We like to add tomato puree as it makes the mixture moist and really gives it a flavour that ties the whole dish together.
3. To ensure that we produce the best quality meals for ourselves, we buy butchers sausages as you can guarantee that they will be flavoursome and good quality meat compared to the supermarket ones.
Monkfish Paella.
This is such a scrummy dish. I have tried to dabble more in cooking different fish, and not just the usual culprits like salmon and cod. I discovered this bad boi when feeling extremely bored one day and just decided to scan through one of the cookbooks that I have mentioned before: Rick Stein: Spain. I have flicked through the book a few times but never in full detail as if I found a recipe, I would mark it and then not bother to look any further. This time I ventured through the whole book and marked down numerous ones, this dish being one of them.
I have never cooked Monkfish so I was not entirely confident when cooking it but it was actually quite simple, all you do is fry it separately for a few minutes and then add it on top of the rice. Overall, there was not too many aspects to it and again, like the Risotto, it was a success! Recipe: Rice with Monkfish, Saffron and Red Pepper.
Tips: 1. It only recommended to use 1 red pepper, but we added two large ones as we love what it adds to the dish, with the texture and flavour. There is also not any other veg in the dish so it is a must to have enough per person.
2. We tried both store and fresh brought Monkfish, and surprisingly the store brought one was nicer out of the two when cooking this particular meal. The fresh one was a tad chewy and because of the type of dish it is and how the monkfish is not blended in with a sauce or anything, it really stood out and made the meal not as enjoyable. Just something we noticed and I like to tell our opinions of course.
3. As a replacement for the Pimenton Dulce we used Papryka Stodka from Sainsburys because we were not able to source the actual ingredient unfortunately and that was the closest thing we could find. It still worked just as well so if you are having the same issue, give it a go!
Pork in Almond Sauce.
Another dish from the same cookbook as the Paella. A slightly different meal from others I have cooked in the past. This is kind of more like a stew and a step up in my opinion in terms of difficulty. It tastes better than it looks so do not worry!
We did change the recipe slightly as you are told to use a pork joint and then slice it for the dish but that was such a hassle for me personally, so I opted instead for diced pork shoulder. It still tasted great but the only thing I would add is the flavour of almonds did not come through as much as I would of liked. It still tasted delicious and creamy but for some unknown reason the sharpness was lacking slightly. It could of been because we used flaked almonds which is why next time, I will try a different type and see if it makes a difference! Recipe: Pork in Almond Sauce.
Tips: 1. We were not sure what dish was required to cook the stew in, so we opted for a wok and then covered it with a baking tray. This way the moisture is kept in as the food is enclosed. Just ensure the meat is fully submerged in the liquid and there is a gap for the steam to escape. Checking it a few times also helps to ensure the meat is cooking properly.
2. We chose to pair the dish with rice because of the sauce, and it mixed really well and just added to the creaminess.
3. We also used the same no. 3 tip from the Paella with the paprika in this recipe also.
4. Be careful with the amount of thyme you add to the dish. One large sprig is hard to determine and on one of the occasions, it came through as quite an overpowering flavour. I myself did not mind and still enjoyed the dish but just something to know if you are not keen on the taste.
Tuscan Chicken and Provencal Couscous.
This was a full on meal and I was very excited to give it a go. I only cooked it a few days ago for the first time so you are getting a up to date review from me. I found it simple and easy to make which is always a plus, the couscous required more attention than the chicken because it had lots of different parts, but I find if I prep the ingredients first it is much quicker when getting to start the dish. Out of all of the meals, this was probably my least favourite but that does not mean that it was not tasty! All of us were really fond of the rice but my dad was not keen on the flavour of the chicken. I understand because the flavour is not something I have tasted before, I would say it is definitely more of a required taste. Recipe: Tuscan Lemon Chicken with Couscous. I unfortunately lost the pictures:( but the recipe has one if you would like to see what it should look like!
Tips: 1. The recipe recommended to place the chicken in the fridge with the rub on for two hours plus. I would say to enhance the flavours as much as possible ( if you like strong flavours ) place it in the fridge overnight. I have experienced in the past that if the rub is only on the meat for a few hours, the sharpness does not transfer and it just becomes an ordinary chicken.
2. Sort of a tip, sort of not! I misread the instructions and brought a whole chicken instead of chicken pieces. However, I found it much easier to use a whole one because it serves more people and there is less work in the cooking process as all you need to do is grab it out of the fridge and whack in the oven. Compared to the pieces where you have to fry/cook and turn them over etc. It is all about as little work as possible for me, especially when there is a lot going on for the meal.
3. To finish off the cooking process, instead of mixing the veg through the couscous, we mixed the couscous in the pan with the veg. This helped to give it some more moisture and stopped it becoming dry after it had been steamed, and it also allowed the couscous to soak up the juices, providing just a little more flavour.
Chocolate Orange Cookies.
I know this is what you have been waiting for! The dessert that Lucy has attempted to make..... This time I have some good news, these were one of the best cookies I have made and I am so happy because I know how many failures I have had lol. I find most brownies or cookie recipes are quite simple and similar with the odd ingredient swapped out or different measurements; so we always have what is needed in the cupboard. That is why I love these recipes as there is not the hassle of having to go to the supermarket and search for obscure things (although I did forget the amount of chocolate orange so had to run to the local store) . The only thing that I have never done before with cookies was we had to either put them in the fridge or freezer. This was actually beneficial as it meant that we could time them to be ready just after we had our tea! I really loved them because the middle was gooey and the outside was crispy, the perfect cookie in my opinion.
I have lots of tips for these! I feel desserts are more temperamental so I tend to have more I notice after baking that I would change when I make them next. Recipe: Chocolate Orange NYC Cookies.
Tips: 1. Make sure you break the chocolate up enough. This means that they will melt better in the middle and they will be spread out. I found that because we did not break them up small enough, some cookies had more in and others had one piece and the rest empty! Which is very sad when you bite into the cookie and it is empty.
2. We used one chocolate orange and then for the rest we used chocolate orange pieces. This was due the fact I forgot to buy two but in the end I think it worked out better as they melted more and because they were smaller, they spread through the mixture better.
3. This is a tip included in the recipe which I found useful. We froze a couple of the cookie dough so we did not waste them by cooking them all. You can then get them out whenever and just cook them for a bit longer! You do not have a pudding? You do now. Edit: We had them from the freezer and they were just as nice, we just cooked them for 5 minutes longer.
4. The final tip is to size the cookies accordingly. We like to have big ones but that resulted in them being too big because of how much they expanded in the oven. This is something you learn and judge once you do them once, and therefore next time I would make them a tad smaller and flatten them a little. Making sure they are the same size is also key in ensuring they all cook through in the same amount of time.
There we are! Some delicious food that I have cooked and fully recommend to you all. Cooking is one of my favourite things to do currently and I am loving it more and more every time I make a new recipe. I hope you all enjoyed and I have not made you too hungry hehe
Stay safe and well, Lucy xoxoxoxo
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