When you think of traditional British dishes, the pie should be high up on the list. Originating in ancient Rome, the pie is a hearty meal when served with mashed potato or chips and some form of vegetable. I have to admit that it’s something I don’t make often and when I do, I stick to the same recipe using up roast chicken leftovers so we were excited and interested to try something new at Pieminister in Nottingham City Centre.
This recipe came about from looking for a new and quick pasta sauce recipe to try during Veganuary and experimenting with different ingredients. The first time I made it, I put toasted pine nuts on to garnish and it tasted great. Blending them in and adding the cream cheese has made this pesto even more delicious. It’s super quick and easy to make. You can have a meal on the table in ten minutes tops, which is so good for when you’re tired and don’t want to stand in the kitchen for hours on an evening.
I want to try to do Veganuary again in the new year. I tried a couple of years ago and only managed 12 days so I really want to challenge myself to complete the whole month this time. When I tried it before I hadn’t long been trying to be gluten and dairy free and I found it really hard to cut out meat and fish too. Over the last two years I have tried a lot more vegan recipes and therefore have more of a variety of foods I know I can eat and will like.
We get through so much pasta on a weekly basis in our house. Pesto is our favourite for a quick family meal on a school night but when we have people round for dinner we always do one of the same two recipes. One is a Classic Ragu Bolognese from The Chiappa Sister’s book “Simply Italian” and the other is a Courgette Carbonara from Jamie Oliver’s book “Jamie at Home”. I’ve made these over and over again over the past few years and we never get tired of them so why not have a go and let me know which one you prefer?
I always thought I didn’t like curry, I thought they were too spicy and I was really unsure of the ingredients but over the past couple of years I developed a taste for them. I especially love fragrant and creamy curries and I still don’t like too much heat. This recipe is inspired by a Gousto box recipe we tried a few weeks ago and Jamie Oliver’s comfort food tikka masala. I mixed up the ingredients and it turned out so tasty!
I’m really passionate about home cooking and making nutritious meals from scratch but being a super busy working Mum, I’m also a massive fan of a shortcut if it’s done with good quality ingredients and no artificial stuff. I want to know where things come from and I want my boys to learn about good food. I want them to be enthusiastic about food and learn that real cooking doesn’t have to take all day and that anyone can do it. You may know by now that I love comfort food and I think spaghetti and meatballs along with lasagna are Italy’s ultimate comfort foods. This recipe is a family favourite that I have reinvented using Spice N Tice’s Italian Meatball Marinara Seasoning Kit.
We love pasta with pesto in this house. It’s our staple, our go-to meal when we want something quick and easy to prepare, my super quick work lunch. The boys love it with tortellini or gnocchi, Matteo loves it with spaghetti. When I started cutting out gluten and dairy about two years ago I worried that I would’t be able to eat pesto anymore and if the dairy free alternatives would be tasteless. Thankfully there are a few that are really nice, of which Sacla is my favourite and on my shopping list every week.
Spring is officially here now but what with all this cold weather and snow in recent weeks I’m still craving comfort food. I want warm dinners with meat and two veg and to light a candle on a cold evening and then snuggle up on the sofa feeling full and content! This cottage pie is so good, you’ll be going back for second helpings.
I wanted to do a little twist on the classic leek and potato soup. The only way to get Ethan to eat sweet (“orange”) potato is in soup and he gobbled it down. It can’t have just been for the reason that I said as soon as they’d finished they could go back to watching their superhero programme on TV!
This soup will store in an airtight container for a couple of days in the fridge or in the freezer for a few months. The recipe below serves two adults and two children with one portion left over for a lunch or dinner another day.