Join us on the 'Cook through a whole cookbook' challenge!

Kaz2904

I have decided that we are going to use the Hairy Dieters book. We have cooked 2 recipes from it in the last week.
We did the minestrone soup. This was ok but was a bit tasteless I thought. It looked nice enough but next time I will use very lazy garlic rather than an actual clove of garlic. This did 4 of us for a main meal with one portion left over. I feel I need to mention that DH was on a fast day when we had this and the other 3 of us had it with bread to make it more filling. Had to dump mine half way through as someone drove into my car while I was scoffing. It was less appetising when it was lukewarm.
We have also had the quick cod and prawn gratin. This did four portions. DD wouldn't eat it as she's veggie (recently turned) but was never that keen on fish. DS didn't like this. DH was on a fast day and it was within his calories. I wasn't that full up so needed more veg for future. This struck me as a really breathtakingly expensive meal though. Even using frozen fish. Maybe that's just me though?

I like the menu selection at the back of the book. I've not looked at the book before tonight other than reading the recipe for the minestrone as it's DH's book but I'll have a gander tomorrow and pick our next recipe.

dumpling

Hi there, yesterday I made Lamb Tagine from the Hairy Dieters first book (p.99).

I actually made it in the slow cooker to save a bit of faffing around and it worked really well. Basically I just put all the ingredients into my slowcooker and put it on low for 8 hours. It was beautiful, the meat was really tender and the sauce had thickened up a bit so I served it with some boiled rice. Ideal as a winter warmer.

Verdict - everybody loved it, clean plates all round. I would definitely make this again. Next week I am going to make the cassoulet again using my slow cooker, can't wait!

Muzikmaster

aliama wrote: »

Finally a main meal recipe.

I made pasta alla puttanesca, or as Nigella terms it in the book 'S**t's Spaghetti' for dinner last night.

Recipe Feedback - Such an easy and quick recipe, and virtually all from storecupboard ingredients: tin of chopped tomatoes, anchovies, jarred olives, capers, chilli flakes and spaghetti (admittedly I don't usually have anchovies sitting around in the cupboards, although since we use them quite a lot maybe we should), and this is such a simple recipe, it's worth having them at all times for those days when you really just can't be arsed to cook. Start to finish (and by start I mean start getting the ingredients out of the cupboard), this recipe shouldn't take more than 15 minutes.

Taste test - Really nice, gutsy flavours although next time I might add a bit more chilli. Nigella suggests either half a tsp of chilli flakes or a couple of tbsp of chopped jalapenos from a jar. I used chilli flakes, but it didn't have much of a kick, so I'd up it to a tsp.

Marks -- 9/10 for ease and speed.

I've have cooked Nigel Slaters version of this dish and I found it oozing with flavour. It's been made a few times by me over the last few months. A really simple tasty dish.

Kiwisaver_2

Today was shopping day, being ultra short on time and ideas of what to have today for a quick dinner we had a bit of a splurge and I made Butterflied Steak Sarnies (Page 25 Jamies MoF). For the record I have made this a couple of times before.

Recipe Feedback - very quick and easy 'recipe' albeit that you probably would need to plan this and buy most ingredients on or very close to the required day. I used baby lettuce leaves instead of watercress

Taste test - Absolutely gorgeous, but more to do with the steak than the recipe, I feel. I can take or leave steak and less is definitely more for me when it comes to meat. I much prefer a tiny piece of perfectly tender and lean fillet to a huge slab of fatty or chewy beast, so this was perfect for me.

Marks 9/10 I took one mark away for cost but still I guess cheaper and healthier than the alternative which potentially would have been a takeaway or some other junk food.

Have planned and bought ingredients for fajitas for tomorrow.

Kiwisaver_2

So another Jamie day, I made Fruit Scones again (this time with Cherries) and Chicken Fajitas. I have done the fajitas before this project and could quite easily make them without the recipe but usually have to improvise or substitute missing ingredients. Today I followed the recipe properly and even had the lime and fresh coriander. I was extra good and made my own guacamole (the book said buy a tub).

Recipe Feedback - fajitas are always a hit with me and this recipe is as good as any others I have tried and shows that you really don't need the likes of shop bought faijta seasoning mixes.

Taste test - absolutely bloomin' lovely, if I do say so myself.

Marks 10/10

lillibet_dripping

septemberblues wrote: »

Please count me in the challenge, I'm very interested in doing this, I have a recipe book by Marguerite Patton called "We'll eat again" and the recipes are from the war years (World War 2). It's during rationing and has substitutes for loads of things.................there's only me to cook for and I'm a bit fat (:p) and broke, so will make a big effort to eat recipes out of this book. The portions are for 4 or 6 people so will have to downscale a bit! If only I could just eat exactly what they did, the weight would drop off me..............:D

My first recipe is "Oatmeal Sausages" (ingredients are for 4 peeps)

2 tbsp chopped onions
cooking fat
4oz oatmeal (which I presume is porrige oats)
half a pint water
2 teaspoons salt (:( probs a pinch instead)
quarter tsp pepper
2 oz chopped meat or sausage or bacon (iv've got bacon in fridge)
browned breadcrumbs (I can't eat wheat but have gf bread in freezer)

Don't want to bore you so shout if you want the recipe! I'm making this tomorrow.

Hello Septemberblues!
I teach cookery in a primary school. My Year 4's study WWII as part of their history lessons so when they come in to cook with me, I tie it into the curriculum by cooking from this book.
When I tell them we are making Oatmeal Sausages, the only bit they hear is 'sausages'!!! Every single child loves them and many have told me that they have gone home and cooked them for their family.
Corned beef fritters are also a hit as is Wartime Carrot Cake and Potato Scones/Floddies.

AlwaysHappy

Well, I have been away and had time to think about this challenge. I initially said that I would do Nigella Lawson Kitchen. However, for me personally, I have a lot of cookbooks and can't find the inspiration to cook recipes which either don't inspire me, or indeed are full of expensive or unliked ingredients. So, I have instead been through (more than half) my multitude of cook books and compiled a list of recipes from each one which I would like to cook (so far over 1000 - and still a lot of books to go). I have begun today. For lunch we had (from Nigella Kitchen) - mortadella & mozzarella frittata which scored a 9/10 from my fussy ds, was easy to do, tasted good and I would do again. In the oven are blueberry muffins from Kitchen and for tea is crispy chicken cutlets chez kitchen. Is it ok for me to stick around?

Jazee

I would like to join in please. But not from cookery books. I subscribe to a monthly recipe magazine (I know, not very MSE) so I intend to do as many recipes as I can from this. So far from the November edition, which arrived in mid October I have cooked:

Jerk chicken with beans & rice (was just ok, might make again)
Salmon & spinach pasta (very nice)
Courgette & bacon frittata (won't make again, wasn't popular here)
Sweet chilli chicken fried rice (delicious)

Tonight we are having sausage, sundried tomato & potato tart (will try to remember to report back) and during the week I intend to make beef & broccoli stir fry.

CAT££

Hi,

Great idea and would love to join in, OH moans I cook the same thingevery week, however would like to see his attempts at cooking! I have tons of dusty cookbooks, so my challenge is to cook something new a couple of times a week out of all of the cookbooks. I have aso set a challenge to drop a dress size for christmas.

This week I am going to make;

1) Beef Stroganoff & Rice
2) Chicken Bhuna

Out of the Hairy Dieters Eat for Life

and

Spaghetti with spinach & feta in a tomato sauce from a Weight Watchers Magazine.

I will post reviews/photo's later in the week.

Jazee

Jazee wrote: »

Tonight we are having sausage, sundried tomato & potato tart (will try to remember to report back) and during the week I intend to make beef & broccoli stir fry.

The sausage tart wasn't great. It fell apart when being sliced and wasn't that tasty. The dogs are enjoying a little of it though!