Cookbook Challenge April

This month’s cookbook was Hemsley and Hemsley. A mixed month with some recipes working well and others just not having the flavour I’d hope. The revelations for me were the cauliflower mash and celeriac fries. They will become staples in the Frivolitea household.

Week 1 Huevos Racheros with guacamole. We really liked this. The guacamole was a great addition and we will add this to Shakshukit / Huevos rancheros every time from now on.

Week 2 spicy chicken thighs with watercress salsa verde. ( lacked flavour which surprised me!)

Week 3 no fry chicken curry with broccoli rice. This was easy to do in the slow cooker but rather wet. Would add less liquid in future.

Week 4 chicken comfort pie ( cauliflower mash topping) this was a great ‘leftovers’ recipe and the cauliflower mash is a real hit.

The extra recipe! Mexican beef and carrot burgers with celeriac fries. A real hit with enough mix left to make some meatballs to have with courgette and tomato sauce for another meal.

Cook book challenge March

So you might have noticed my attempt to blog the challenge each week is not because I failed at the challenge. Far from it. I’ve stuck to it every week but have failed at setting aside time to write about it so….. Here is A collection of photos of March’s challenge using Nigella Lawson Kitchen.

Week 1 lemony salmon with tomato cous cous

Week 2 Spanish chicken, chorizo and potatoes

Week 3 pasta with feta, spinach and pine nuts

Week 4 sweet potato supper

All of these were winners and easy to make. Some new mid week meals added to the list in the Frivolitea household!

Cookbook Challenge February Week 2

As it’s just before Chinese New Year, I thought this week I’d choose a Chinese inspired recipe. I decided to choose something that would take a little more time. However I was surprised at how easy this recipe was. I chose Chinese lemon chicken and really enjoyed cooking the sauce in the wok. The Chinese five spice in the chicken really added to the dish.

I also chose to cook the Chinese baked rice with ginger and peas to go with it. I’ve not done rice in this way before and the cabbage and peas was a great way of including vegetables in the dish.

It was really delicious and felt like home made takeaway for a Saturday night. I’ll definitely make it again.

Cookbook Challenge February Week 1

This month, I’ve chosen Bill Granger ‘Everyday’ as my cookbook for the month. I have to emit that I’m not as inspired by this book but perhaps that’s why doing the cookbook challenge is a good thing.

This week I chose lime, paprika and honey chicken and served it with coconut rice and purple sprouting broccoli. The recipe was easy to follow and I particularly liked the lime flavour. I’d certainly make this again for a crowd.

Cookbook challenge January week 4

This week is the last week of using Jamie Oliver’s Everyday Superfood for the cookbook challenge and I saved the best til last (unknowingly.)

I have to admit that I was nervous about this recipe. I love cauliflower and I love pineapple. I particularly love them both roasted, but together?! I did think perhaps Jamie had completely lost it.

Boy was I wrong. What a great dish. Even Mr Frivolitea who usually has a no fruit in savoury dishes really liked the dish. We will definitely make it again and I think it would be great as a side dish if you made a curry for a crowd!

Cookbook Challenge January week 3

This week’s recipe from Jamie Oliver’s Everyday Superfood was skinny carbonara. I liked the simplicity of this dish and was surprised at how much flavour there was, considering only one slice of streaky bacon between two people.

I’ll definitely make this one again.

Cookbook Challenge January week 2

I decided to choose ‘Spelt spaghetti, vine tomatoes and baked ricotta from Jamie Oliver’s Everyday Superfood for this week’s cookbook challenge.

I love roasted tomatoes and the recipe combined this with chilli, lemon and garlic. A winning combination.

I really enjoyed following the recipe and the baking of the ricotta. It works so well.

Very tasty dish that I will definitely make regularly. Though I’ll ensure I buy chillis with more of a kick!

Cookbook Challenge January Week 1

So it has begun, it is week one of the cookbook challenge and I m slightly regretting planning to cook a new recipe on the first day back after the holidays and on the same night as I needed to go and do the food shop….. But I did it.
I’ve chosen Everyday Super Food by Jamie Oliver as my book this month.

For this week’s recipe I chose Bombay Chicken and Cauli Poppadoms, Rice and Spinach. I’m going to try and blog each week showing some photos of the process not just the finished product. I really liked this dish, it was simple to make and had bags of flavour. It also gave me opportunity to start using my thermomix more as the recipe included making a mint dressing

and a marinade to make for the chicken.

I particularly liked the addition of cauliflower to the dish.

This is defintely a recipe I’ll add to the regular midweek meals list!

Here’s the finished dish and the photo from the book.

The Cookbook Challenge

I love my collection of cookbooks and I enjoy nothing more than an afternoon on the sofa, flicking through recipes. The problem is I don’t always use them and challenge myself to do new things.

Mr Frivolitea and I had been chatting about our plans for 2016 and one plan we had made was to try one new recipe a week. A couple of friends on Facebook starting discussing the same thing!

So…. A Facebook group was born. A place where we can encourage each other to stick to the challenge but also discover the books that people use and celebrate the results!

Why not join us….. https://www.facebook.com/groups/129597497415126/