Kitchen Hero - Donal Skehan - link
Rating: 3.8/5
Comment: I normally roast chicken with garlic, butter and lemon juice, but decided to try something different. This recipe uses a paste of garlic, rosemary and thyme with olive oil - was pleasantly surprised at how nice it tasted. Was concerned it might dry out a little, but it seemed fine. Had trouble making up the paste (there wasn't enough of it to mix up properly). A pestle and mortar may be best.
Use it again: Yes.
Other nice recipes from this book: Spicy white bean and chorizo soup, chicken and broccoli pie, mini caramelised and goat's cheese tarts, sticky marmalade chicken.
Thursday 23 August 2012
74. Lemon Tart (L Pascale)
Lorraine Pascale- Baking Made Easy
Rating: 3.7/5
Comment: Nice but a little too citrusy. I overcooked the pastry a little and also did not roll it out thin enough. There was a little too much lemon rind for my liking - uses juice and rind of 5 lemons. The pastry is meant to include poppy seeds but I forgot!
Use it again: Possibly.
Lovely recipes from this book: Fudge brownies, classic victoria sponge, pavlova, Chocolate cake, Chocolate melting pots, Soda bread, Strawberry and mascarpone swiss roll, baked plaice with rosemary and anchovies, mini toad-in-the-hole, Focaccia, glam mac and cheese, mini dark chocolate and raspberry swirl cheesecakes.
Avoid: Banana and Honey Souffle, ginger and mascarpone creme bruelee.
Rating: 3.7/5
Comment: Nice but a little too citrusy. I overcooked the pastry a little and also did not roll it out thin enough. There was a little too much lemon rind for my liking - uses juice and rind of 5 lemons. The pastry is meant to include poppy seeds but I forgot!
Use it again: Possibly.
Lovely recipes from this book: Fudge brownies, classic victoria sponge, pavlova, Chocolate cake, Chocolate melting pots, Soda bread, Strawberry and mascarpone swiss roll, baked plaice with rosemary and anchovies, mini toad-in-the-hole, Focaccia, glam mac and cheese, mini dark chocolate and raspberry swirl cheesecakes.
Avoid: Banana and Honey Souffle, ginger and mascarpone creme bruelee.
Tuesday 21 August 2012
73. Mini Molten Chocolate Puddings (Donal Skehan)
Donal Skehan: http://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/food/recipes/2012/0528/3203-mini-molten-chocolate-puddings/
Kitchen hero - great food for less
Rating: 3.5/5
Comment: Tasty but too sweet. Over-cooked the first two, then slightly under-cooked the second two, but all tasted great anyway. Hopefully will get it right next time. Also omitted the chilli but will try a little next time.
Use it again: Yes.
Kitchen hero - great food for less
Rating: 3.5/5
Comment: Tasty but too sweet. Over-cooked the first two, then slightly under-cooked the second two, but all tasted great anyway. Hopefully will get it right next time. Also omitted the chilli but will try a little next time.
Use it again: Yes.
Monday 13 August 2012
72.Gratin of fish with tomatoes&cheese (R. Allen food@home)
Rachel's Favourite food at home
Rating: 4/5
Comment: Tasty dish. The plaice was melt in the mouth - just the right balance of cream, cheese and tomatoes. Will try using a different type of fish (cheaper!), such as cod next time. The cheese is Gruyere, but you can use half of that and half of emmental.Used wholegrain mustard in place of Dijon.
Use it again: Yes.
Other nice recipes from this book: wholemeal shortbread biscuits, spicy salmon cakes, apple and cinnamon muffins, asparagus and spring onion tart.
Rachel Allen favourite food cookbooks - this is my least preferred of the 3 books. The other 2 have a far better selection of recipes.
Avoid: Upside-down rhubarb and ginger cake.
Rating: 4/5
Comment: Tasty dish. The plaice was melt in the mouth - just the right balance of cream, cheese and tomatoes. Will try using a different type of fish (cheaper!), such as cod next time. The cheese is Gruyere, but you can use half of that and half of emmental.Used wholegrain mustard in place of Dijon.
Use it again: Yes.
Other nice recipes from this book: wholemeal shortbread biscuits, spicy salmon cakes, apple and cinnamon muffins, asparagus and spring onion tart.
Rachel Allen favourite food cookbooks - this is my least preferred of the 3 books. The other 2 have a far better selection of recipes.
Avoid: Upside-down rhubarb and ginger cake.
Sunday 12 August 2012
71. Roasted tomato&basil soup (Rachel Allen - fave food for friends)
Rachel's Favourite Food for Friends
Rating: 3.7/5
Comment: Lovely tasting soup.
Use it again: Yes.
Lovely recipes from this book: Cinnamon and orange/ginger Biscuits, Chocolate Roulade with raspberries and cream, apple pudding, rhubarb pudding, lemon tea cake, raspberry and honey mascarpone tart. french dressing, lemon tray bake.
Average but still nice: Sweet corn and coriander cakes with tomato salsa, maple roast parsnips, jane's biscuits, cauliflower and cheese soup, apple sauce.
Avoid: Chocolate fudge mousse, chocolate tart.
Rating: 3.7/5
Comment: Lovely tasting soup.
Use it again: Yes.
Lovely recipes from this book: Cinnamon and orange/ginger Biscuits, Chocolate Roulade with raspberries and cream, apple pudding, rhubarb pudding, lemon tea cake, raspberry and honey mascarpone tart. french dressing, lemon tray bake.
Average but still nice: Sweet corn and coriander cakes with tomato salsa, maple roast parsnips, jane's biscuits, cauliflower and cheese soup, apple sauce.
Avoid: Chocolate fudge mousse, chocolate tart.
Saturday 11 August 2012
70. Chocolate brownies (Rachel Allen-favourite food)
Rachel's Favourite Food
Rating: 4/5
Comment: Nice brownies but not as good as the Lorraine Pascale ones.
Use it again: Yes, but only when low on eggs as uses 2 less eggs than the usual brownie recipe.
Lovely recipes from this book: Pasta with chorizo and cream, Pea and coriander soup with chilli, hot lemon pudding, mustard and honey salad dressing.
Average recipes: Homemade burgers.
Rating: 4/5
Comment: Nice brownies but not as good as the Lorraine Pascale ones.
Use it again: Yes, but only when low on eggs as uses 2 less eggs than the usual brownie recipe.
Lovely recipes from this book: Pasta with chorizo and cream, Pea and coriander soup with chilli, hot lemon pudding, mustard and honey salad dressing.
Average recipes: Homemade burgers.
69. Pasta with chorizo&cream (Rachel Allen - favourite food)
Rachel's Favourite Food
Rating: 4.5/5
Comment: Delicious pasta sauce - restaurant quality! Quick and easy.
Use it again: Yes.
Lovely recipes from this book: Pea and coriander soup with chilli, hot lemon pudding, mustard and honey salad dressing.
Average recipes: Homemade burgers.
Rating: 4.5/5
Comment: Delicious pasta sauce - restaurant quality! Quick and easy.
Use it again: Yes.
Lovely recipes from this book: Pea and coriander soup with chilli, hot lemon pudding, mustard and honey salad dressing.
Average recipes: Homemade burgers.
Wednesday 8 August 2012
68. Cinnamon rolls (Avoca book 2)
Avoca Cafe cookbook 2 (Book 2)
Rating: 3/5
Comment: These were alright. They seemed to use a lot of yeast relative to the amount of flour. They were massive. The cinnamon, sugar and butter got a bit lost due to the huge expansion of the dough. I overcooked them a little which didn't help matters.
Use it again: Yes, but not for a few months. I'll try this version with less yeast next time.
Other nice recipes from this book: Chocolate chip cookies, lemon curd cake (does not need the buttercream), parma-wrapped chicken breasts with ricotta stuffing, rich chocolate tart with berries.
Rating: 3/5
Comment: These were alright. They seemed to use a lot of yeast relative to the amount of flour. They were massive. The cinnamon, sugar and butter got a bit lost due to the huge expansion of the dough. I overcooked them a little which didn't help matters.
Use it again: Yes, but not for a few months. I'll try this version with less yeast next time.
Other nice recipes from this book: Chocolate chip cookies, lemon curd cake (does not need the buttercream), parma-wrapped chicken breasts with ricotta stuffing, rich chocolate tart with berries.
Saturday 4 August 2012
67. Ginger and mascarpone Creme Brulee (Lorraine Pascale)
Lorraine Pascale- Baking Made Easy
Rating: 2.5/5
Comment: I thought the ginger would give a nice flavour to this and the mascarpone lessen the richness, but it seemed just as rich as a normal vanilla creme brulee and didn't really think the ginger enhanced the flavour. I didn't dislike this as much as chocolate creme brulee, but don't think I'll try this again.
Use it again: No. Vanilla only creme brulee going forward.
Lovely recipes from this book: Fudge brownies, classic victoria sponge, pavlova, Chocolate cake, Chocolate melting pots, Soda bread, Strawberry and mascarpone swiss roll, baked plaice with rosemary and anchovies, mini toad-in-the-hole, Focaccia, glam mac and cheese, mini dark chocolate and raspberry swirl cheesecakes.
Avoid: Banana and Honey Souffle.
Rating: 2.5/5
Comment: I thought the ginger would give a nice flavour to this and the mascarpone lessen the richness, but it seemed just as rich as a normal vanilla creme brulee and didn't really think the ginger enhanced the flavour. I didn't dislike this as much as chocolate creme brulee, but don't think I'll try this again.
Use it again: No. Vanilla only creme brulee going forward.
Lovely recipes from this book: Fudge brownies, classic victoria sponge, pavlova, Chocolate cake, Chocolate melting pots, Soda bread, Strawberry and mascarpone swiss roll, baked plaice with rosemary and anchovies, mini toad-in-the-hole, Focaccia, glam mac and cheese, mini dark chocolate and raspberry swirl cheesecakes.
Avoid: Banana and Honey Souffle.
66. Pavlova (L.Pascale)
Lorraine Pascale- Baking Made Easy
Rating: 4.5/5
Comment: This followed a backwards method, which went against all logic, but it seemed to work. Started off with the sugar, a squirt of lemon juice and 1 egg white. It worked out quite well. If you prefer marshmallowly centres in your pavlova then stick to the traditional method, but if you prefer a little stickiness try this method out. All the family seemed to like it.
Meringues also worked out very well using this method.
Avoid: Banana and Honey Souffle, Ginger and mascarpone creme brulee.
Rating: 4.5/5
Comment: This followed a backwards method, which went against all logic, but it seemed to work. Started off with the sugar, a squirt of lemon juice and 1 egg white. It worked out quite well. If you prefer marshmallowly centres in your pavlova then stick to the traditional method, but if you prefer a little stickiness try this method out. All the family seemed to like it.
Meringues also worked out very well using this method.
Use it again: Yes.
Lovely recipes from this book: Brownies, classic victoria sponge, Chocolate cake, Chocolate melting pots, Soda bread, Strawberry and mascarpone swiss
roll, baked plaice with rosemary and anchovies, mini toad-in-the-hole,
Focaccia, glam mac and cheese, mini dark chocolate and raspberry swirl cheesecakes. Avoid: Banana and Honey Souffle, Ginger and mascarpone creme brulee.
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