Cook Something Different Challenge

Lizling

Good suggestion, GV, but they do have mint in them already. Not enough that I can taste it though. The recipe didn't call for much. Unfortunately it was the last of my mint.

Update: the extra lemon and the parsley made all the difference. It ended up close to Nigella's recipe.

Clutterfree

I made Hit 'N' Run Traybaked Chicken from Save With Jamie.
It was quick and easy to make.
We ate it with crusty Tiger bread.
It tasted okay but it didn't wow any of us so I probably wouldn't make it again.

Lizling

I made a Maddhur Jaffrey red lentil dal recipe today that I found here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/5050514/Madhur-Jaffrey-picks-her-favourite-recipes-Madhurs-daily-dal.html

BIG disappointment! I'd meant to cook enough for about 4 meals so I'd have some left for lunches and quick dinners over the week, and it does say serves 4-6, but I've just eaten the lot for lunch and I'm not even full! I suppose it probably meant serves 4-6 if you cook enough rice to serve 4 and then put a spoonful of the dal on top Now I'll have to make something else.

It tasted rubbish anyway. I followed the recipe to the letter and it came out really bland and watery. I had to pep it up with more spices and salt and pepper (not mentioned in the recipe at all) and a lot more chilli. Normally I rather like Maddhur Jaffrey, too.

I'm also halfway through making tahini-dressed courgette and green bean salad from Hugh FW, but honestly, it's such a faff. It's sitting in the fridge now waiting for me to get around to making the dressing.


Update: the tahini dressing is really, really good so at least something worked. It totally overwhelms the overcomplicated salad, but it would be great with just the courgettes or some broccoli.

freespirit66

Hi, i made my first new recipe for this week last night, a Roasted Vegetable and Goats Cheese Tart, and although my pastry shrunk round the sides :mad: luckily it was in a deep enough bowl it was absolutely scrumptious, again we all enjoyed it, clean plates all round, will definitely make again

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/roasted-ratatouille-goats-cheese-tart

freespirit66

Hi my 2nd new recipe for this week is Beefy Melanzane Parmigiana it was nice, but i wont make it again, i find frying aubergines such a faff and this was no different it took nearly 2 hours to prepare it to go into the oven

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beefy-melanzane-parmigiana

Lizling

I agree about frying aubergines! I love melanzane parmigiana but haven't made it in a year because it's such a faff! I think the only practical way to do it is to have about 3 frying pans on the go

freespirit66

Lizling wrote: »

I agree about frying aubergines! I love melanzane parmigiana but haven't made it in a year because it's such a faff! I think the only practical way to do it is to have about 3 frying pans on the go

Haha yes i did think about having another one on the go but cba, i am glad its not just me then frying aubergines :rotfl:

Lizling

Tonight was sweet potato fritters with a yoghurt and coriander sauce.

They were from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi and they turned out to be really nice comfort food on a horrible rainy day like today. The only drawback was that after steaming the sweet potatoes, you've got to leave them to stand for an hour before making the fritters, but I was hungryyyyyyyyy!

Amazingly, there were no remotely awkward ingredients in them. That's got to be a first for this book.

Might try adding a few kidney beans to the remaining mixture. I think they'd be nice in it.

freespirit66

Hi i made two new recipes this week the first one was Apple Mustard Pork Burgers which was nice but dont think i would make again it was nothing special:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search/recipes?query=apple+mustard+pork+burger

The second recipe was Pork Chops, Mint, Mangetout and Salad Leaves this was gorgeous, the chops are cooked in a hoi sin sauce, and the salad was lovely with the texture of the mangetout and the mint, this was a sainsburys food magazine recipe.

Lizling

Tonight I made a lentil and garlic soup called 'Vospapur' from the Veggiestan cookbook. It's fine, and it's certainly very cheap and healthy, but nothing special- basically the sort of thing I'd chuck together myself from cupboard odds and ends. It might be my own fault it isn't amazing though because I did do a couple of substitutions. I swapped the 4-5 overripe tomatoes for a tin of tomatoes, and had to skip the tsp of dillweed (whatever that is - different from dill? I don't know.)