Last Year's Veggie Patch...

After having spent a good day or so this week digging the veggie patch over and digging in compost to start it all off again for another season...I decided to take a peep back at last year's first attempt at backgarden farming!! The patch started life as a patch of wild grass, that grew from a pile of discarded turf...it had some pretty wildflowers (some would say weeds!!) growing through it, but on the whole was a mess!! So I dug it up...

Weekly Bake-Off Challenge...#2

...I was really chuffed when I found out what this week's Bake-Off Challenge was...I had been planning on making some of these on Thursday or Friday as the smallish people would be on Easter Hols then!!! They are something I have never made before...so it will be a first time attempt at them...do you want to know what they are?...

Speedy Salmon and Pimped Orzo...

...with the beautiful, sunny weather we've been having lately I decided to spend some time in the garden, getting it ready to sow some veggie crops in the next week or so...as a result I am trying to find simple, speedy suppers for Mr and myself...and not only that, meals that are not too heavy...but not salads all the time.
It was with this in mind that I took some salmon out to defrost this morning...

Sunny Days...

A few of last years crops...

...and the start of a new round in the 'growing veggies' saga...to grow or not grow? That is the question here right now...where we live is about to be hit with a hosepipe ban...so from April 5th we are limited to watering cans, buckets, bathwater, kitchen water and any rain that happens to fall...which after last year, is likely to be around July and August!!


Last year I started my very first veggie plot...and it was great, we had some nice homegrown veggies, that really did taste better than supermarket ones!! We want to do it again, but can we??

The Simple Life...

...do you ever get fed up of cooking? I do...a strange thing to say for a foodie blogger type?? I don't think so...I think lots of us feel this way from time to time...


Sometimes I just feel as if I've 'had enough of food', of cooking and of eating...sometimes I crave simple dishes and meals, ones that require minimum effort, yet still use great ingredients.


Tonight was a bit like that! After the weekend of foodie heaven I just couldn't be bothered with anything rich or time consuming...so whilst at the supermarket I kept my eye open for ingredients that might take it upon themselves to tempt me!! Guess what they did!!!

Mushroom, Artichoke and Olive Pasta Bake...

I found this recipe in my box of 'cut-out-and-keep' recipes, from various magazines...it's from Essentials Magazine, not sure which issue...there isn't a date on the torn out page!!(and I can't find it on their website anywhere to link to...) So I shall just have to share it with you...so here is Mushroom, Artichoke and Olive Pasta Bake...

Dreamy, Creamy Mascarpone...

...Ice-Cream no less...and another Lisa Faulkner special...that's 3 from this book in a week now!!!


To go alongside the Chocolate Almond Torte, Lisa recommends this ice-cream...I was so excited...it meant I could get my ice-cream maker out of the cupboard where is has languished for the last 10 years or so!!! (I told you I was a bit of a gadget freak in a much earlier post!!)...but alas...t'was not to be...said ice-cream machine was broken!!! Un-fixable!!! What to do???



Well there was only one thing to do, make it by hand of course!!!

Chocolate Almond Torte...

...Pudding for the weekend was the Chocolate and Almond Torte with homemade Mascarpone Ice-Cream...both of which came from my Mother's Day pressie cookbook..Lisa Faulkner's 'Recipes from my Mother for my Daughter' 

These are the second and third recipes I've tried from this book in the last week...(which is pretty good considering I only got it last weekend!!)

The pudding was originally planned for the Friday night, following the Veggie Indian Feast...here, here, here, here and here (will add the last two links when I post them!!)...but after that lot we were pretty full!! So the Torte got pushed to Saturday after the tasty Mushroom, Artichoke and Olive Bake...

Friday Night Veggie Indian Feast...

...so now I have finally posted all the recipes from last Friday's Veggie Indian Feast...The menu was...

...Although the Torte and ice-cream got bumped to Saturday in the end as we were too full, it was too late and to be honest, I couldn't be bothered to bake the torte on Friday!!! Oh, and the homemade pizzas on Saturday were for the 4 smallish people!!! We had the Pasta Bake, that will be posted later on...


If you missed any of the Indian food posts you can find them here...


1 - Paneer and Spice Fritters
2 - Pea and Potato Samosas
3 - Cucumber and Mint Raita
4 - Saag Paneer
5 - Chickpea Curry
6 - Pilau Rice...this one is just below...


I Don't really have a formal recipe for this, but I will share with you how I cook my Pilau Rice...
Serves: 6 ish...or in this case, 4 and leftovers!!
Prep time: 5 mins plus 30mins soaking time
Cooking time: 5mins ish...
Ok, so I start by rinsing about 12oz of basmati rice in cold water...I rinse a couple of times to get most of the dust and starch out...then to the pan of now wet (but drained) rice I will add about 1/2tsp turmeric, 1tsp garam masala, 1tsp chilli powder, 4 split green cardamom pods, 2 crushed cloves of garlic and about and inch of peeled, grated fresh ginger...give it a stir and leave until about 30  mins before you want to cook it...
About 30 mins before you are going to cook it, add enough cold water to the pan to cover with about 2inches extra water...leave to soak for about 30 mins...
Once 30mins is up add a little salt and bring to the boil...turn down and simmer for about 4 mins, testing after 3mins...we like ours firm, not raw!!! But with a bite to it...there is nothing worse than soggy rice!!! Once cooked to your liking, drain and serve!!
I'm sorry there are no photos to show how great this rice turns out...maybe next time I cook it I will post some!
Oh, one more thing, I also use this rice to make veggie pilau, for that one I stir fry some veg of choice...leeks, broccoli, cauli, peppers, mushrooms, peas...and add drained cooled rice to pan, mix and reheat...for that you only need about 9oz rice to start...that will feed four and give leftovers!!

Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry...

...Doesn't really sound that appetising, but it has to be tasted as it is a really good veggie curry...and is the last of the recipes from Friday night's Indian Veggie Feast...it joins the others so far...Herb and Spice Paneer Fritters, Pea and Potato Samosas, Mint and Cucumber Raita, Cheat's Saag Paneer and now...Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry....

Pea and Potato Samosas...

...as those of you that read all my posts know, we have had veggie friends staying this weekend...and on Friday night I made a Veggie Indian Feast for us...so far I have shared the Paneer Fritters, Saag Paneer and Raita recipes with you...well here is the next...Anjum Anand's Pea and Potato Samosas...from her Indian Food Made Easy Book...There are a few spices in the filling...all of which bar one were already in my store cupboard...

Herb and Spice Paneer Fritters...

...This is another of those recipes that I ripped out of a magazine about two years ago, but am only know getting around to trying!!!...this one comes from the Good Food Magazine dated April 2010!!!



They taste subtly herbed and spiced, with the toasted cumin seeds coming through quite well in the taste stakes...and they go well with the Cucumber and Mint Raita I made...and even better with a slightly spicy dip such as a sweet chilli or a spiced mango chutney...