Calling Denmark - +45

And here we are at number 45! Just a few meals away from the big finish and my goodness am I starting to feel it! What a crazy year of cooking, digging through the deli, getting to know the local fish mongers, scratching our heads about strangely named ingredients and eating ourselves absolutely stupid on the most wonderful food ever to come out of our dear little kitchen! And this week is just as fabulous as any other, with our take on Kinda Sausage Cassoulet, Warm Broccoli Salad and Meringues.

Let's talk about this cassoulet. First word - yum. Second word - YUM. This is just one of those dishes that is amazing from start to finish. It actually is pretty easy too - I'm not sure if all of these meals are getting easier because I'm feeling so comfortable in the kitchen and with the format of the recipes now, or because it really is that easy. Perhaps a bit of both? Whatever it is, this meal was fairly simple to put together and tasted great. The sausages go so well with the passata and bacon flavours and the crust on the top just gives it a little extra something. This is a dish to feed the masses and I recommend it if you want to do something a bit fancy with the snags you didn't end up using at the BBQ on the weekend.

The broccoli looks spectacular on the serving dish, and I was so happy to photograph it. In fact, the entire meal this week ended up being delightfully photogenic and I'm so proud to share the photos with you! I love that something I made ended up looking so darn delicious! Broccolini is my current favourite vegetable and it served us very well in this recipe. The colour clash with the tomato and red onion purée is so cool, it makes the dish look almost restaurant quality when it was actually dead simple matter of boiling up the broc stalks and tipping some purée mess over the top. And it tasted awesome!

The dessert was truly beautiful as well, I will definitely be making these again! We used meringue nests from the supermarket and did exactly what Mr Oliver says to do - loaded them up with lemon curd, topped that with yoghurt/honey/berry mixture and then dropped a few extra berries on top, to make it extra special. This dessert is perfect for a group with a strong sweet tooth, but perhaps a bit much for those who aren't fond of a sugar overload. The servings are just small enough that you don't feel overwhelmed by the sugar rush afterward, but more than enough for me!

So there you go, a really simple meal that looks absolutely divine - its the cheats way to throw a dinner party, I think. And I would definitely recommend it to anyone who needs to feed a group and wants to impress them all, without really trying too hard. And next week we'll be taking you through British Picnic, an amazing collection of dishes made up of Sausage Rolls, Mackerel Pate, Lovely Asparagus, Crunch Salad and Pimm's Eton Mess!

Til then - Bon Appetit!

+44

And another successful week was had! Welcome back for week 44. This time around we tried our hand at Pork Chops & Crispy Crackling, Crushed Potatoes, Minty Cabbage and Peaches'n'Custard. I can say straight up that what we ended up with did not look at all like the pictures in the book. Usually the meal ends up looking pretty close to it, or at least resembles it a semi-recognisable way. I don't know what it was about this week, but it just did not look the way it was meant to! But none of that mattered because it all tasted as good as the book made it look, and a successful meal was made.

Let's start with the pork chops. This is probably the main area in which ours did not look like the pictures. We did not have short, plump little chops that could stand up perfectly in the pan while their fat was rendering. What we did have were long, skinny, almost boneless pork chops which looked far less impressive, but thankfully tasted just as good. We ended up having to skip the standing-on-end part of the cooking process, but it didn't seem to have an ill effect. It ended up being a lovely dish - roasted garlic and crackling to top it all off. The recipe does come across in a way that makes the whole pork cooking process seem a bit complex, but it really wasn't. You separate the skin and some of the fat to make crackling, then move it to a roasting tray before cooking up the chops and adding them to the tray also. Then it all gets thrown into the oven until you are ready to eat, with a few seasonings and flavours added along the way. Pretty easy, really!

The cabbage was an interesting choice. Personally, I find few kitchen odours less appealing than the smell of boiled cabbage. Compared to the gorgeous aroma of the peaches for the dessert (discussed below), the cabbage was really off-putting. But true to our agreement to try everything at least once, we served it up anyway. The amazing thing about this dish is that while you're cooking it you just wish you'd left it out - then when you dress and season it with mint and other items, it becomes this really fresh and lovely side dish. Like I said, I found this one to be an interesting choice. I can't say I'll be rushing out to make it again, but it is good to know that if I for some reason find myself in possession of a cabbage, I can do something other than make coleslaw with it.

The smash is simple beyond words and will receive an equally simple paragraph this week. Take potatoes, microwave, dress, smash. Delish.

The dessert was lovely. I truly enjoyed throwing this one together, as our guests stared in mock horror at the construction of the dish ("from a packet!!"). The peaches bubble away on the stove for a short time with some cinnamon. This step alone fills the kitchen with the most delicious, sweet smell. As soon as it starts to cook you just want to eat it. If you're planning an open house or something, forget baking cookies - just heat some peaches and cinnamon in a saucepan on the stove! After that its as simple as layering up the bits and pieces. We did ours straight into serving glasses as opposed to on a platter - less mess this way! Custard, peaches, syrup and crumbed shortbread biscuits. So yummy! Didn't snap a pic of this one though - it isn't the most attractive dessert, but it tastes awesome.

So there you go! Number 44 is out of the way and we are cruising towards number 45! This year has absolutely flown by and it is scary to think that we are only a few weeks away from the end (and from Christmas!!). I can't wait to try out the last of the recipes - I've been looking forward to them the longest! Next week make sure you come back and join us for Kinda Sausage Cassoulet, Warm Broccoli Salad and Meringues.

Til then - Bon Appetit!

Strip "The King" Wheathers - Number 43!

This week was another great success! We had the pleasure of making Seared Pork Fillet & Catherine-Wheel Sausage, Meaty Mushroom Sauce, Celeriac Mash and Garlicky Beans. It was simply delicious - a lovely warming meal, full of flavour, fairly easy to make (one Catherine-Wheel flipping incident not withstanding) and generally just really satisfying! We had fabulous company, a few sneaky ciders and excellent conversation, making for one of the most fun dinner parties I have been at in a little while!

Let's start with the pork - as is the case with many of Mr Oliver's mains, it is a pretty low fuss affair. You season the meat, throw it in a pan, then move it to the oven and leave it be. It really was as simple as that, and thank goodness because raw pork fillet is not an attractive sight. If we're being honest, when DH pulled it out of the fridge and sat it on the bench in front of me, I had to stifle a little gag before asking her "really? This is......we're really going to eat this?" as she nodded seriously. So preparing the pork, while simple in theory, is on the list with my other least favourite food preparation moments (right up there with the scale and gut job I had to do on the sardines way back when). Lucky for our butcher, the pork actually came up great and was really lovely as a finished product.

The Catherine-wheel sausage was interesting as well. Sure, it's simple enough to coil up into a circular shape. The skewering part looks easy too. And then you end up with half your skewer sticking out where it shouldn't, the other half buried somewhere in the meat and, if you're not careful, the skewers will turn out to be too long to fit in the frying pan and you'll end up with a sausage wheel that is refusing to go into the frying pan like a cat over a bathtub. But that won't be the end of your troubles. You'll also have to figure out how to flip the damn thing, when it is way too big for your spatula and even a little spatula/tong combination approach won't go to plan - unless you have a second set of hands present to hold the frying pan and assist in the flipping motion. But thankfully the dish actually came up really lovely and all the hassle was forgotten. Sort of.

The sauce is honestly the greatest part of this dish, and if you ever have the chance to make it I recommend that you do. We left the kidney out and substituted in more bacon (as mentioned previously, organ meat has never been, is not currently and will never be an item on a menu of mine. Plus bacon is awesome and where there is the opportunity to use additional amounts, one must oblige). We also used a port instead of marsala, simply because that is what we had. Sadly, it doesn't light up and flame the way that marsala does, but it still tastes delicious. The sauce is beautiful and creamy, though it did take some work to get the balance of flavours right. I ended up using almost double the amount of cream called for and can recommend going really easy on the English mustard - one tablespoon ended up being a bit too much! But by the time we were ready to serve, it was perfect. I will definitely be making this again, to go on my steak!

The celeriac mash was dull, if we're being perfectly honest. It tasted okay, it was minimal fuss (always a plus!) and served as a nice neutral base on which to pile delicious pork and gravy. But it was definitely missing something. The plate looked a little gray and boring without any colourful veg or salad on it, and it seemed a little dreary. I think the meal could have benefited from a sweet potato mash to go with the green beans, or maybe some carrots and asparagus. Anything to get a bit of colour on the plate! But aside from that, it was delicious and a really enjoyable meal.

And that is how it was done! It is getting easier and easier to make the meals and I'm finding we're working through them a lot faster than we used to. We have quite the good little system working for us now. And next time we get to show off our skills again, making Pork Chops & Crispy Crackling, Crushed Potatoes, Minty Cabbage and Peaches'n'Custard! Looks like we're in for another yummy week.

See you next time - Bon Appetit!

The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything - 42

Hello old friends!
My sincerest apologies for getting so far behind on the posts. I could give you a million reasons why I haven't kept up to date, and all of them would be true and valid, but I'll save them for another time. Right now, I think I'd best just get back to writing and get on with posting! I have a few posts saved up so I'll be getting as many of them put up as I can, and I am working on the last few. There will be a full set of posts for this blog, I promise!
Head Chef x

For meal 42 we enjoyed an amazing Stuffed Focaccia, Proscuitto, Celeriac Remoulade, Dressed Mozzarella and Fresh Lemon & Lime Granita. And what an awesome meal it was! Right at the turn of the weather, just as things were getting warm and it was starting to feel like summer, we got to enjoy this gorgeous, fresh and seasonally appropriate compilation of all that is good about Mediterranean fare.

Let's begin with the focaccia. I am a self-confessed bread lover. I am sure it does no good for my body (I'm almost positive that I have some kind of a wheat allergy) and I am absolutely sure that it does no good for my waistline, but there is just something about fresh, warm bread that does it for me. It is so comforting and filling and I think it probably taps into some kind of early-days-of-civilisation need. OR maybe I just really like bread. Anyway, this particular focaccia was picked up at my local deli and then filled with a delicious array of grilled pepers, tomatoes, chilli, cheeses and spices. Though it was a touch messy to eat (the thing kept falling apart!), I do very highly recommend it!

The mozzarella ended up being a source of laughter at the table. My mum, thinking the chunks of dressed cheese was actually a dish of potatoes, loaded up her plate with the stuff and took a great big bite. She looked quite alarmed for a moment before commenting "um....these aren't potatoes, are they?........... is this cheese!?" before carefully returning much of the dish to the serving plate and sheepishly returning to her dinner. I can't imagine the horror of biting into what is meant to be a potato and discovering it to be soft, chewy and almost buttery in texture... but the look on her face said it all. At least it was delicious.

The celeriac remoulade ended up being a carrot remoulade, as I was not able to find any celeriac at the supermarket. (The following week, celeriac was available in abundance of course. But not when I actually needed it). But we did end up with a lovely and fresh mixture to go atop the prosciutto - which I must mention is my new favourite deli meat. Seriously. That stuff tastes good with everything! In true Mr Oliver style, the dish was packed full of flavour and had a really interesting mix of ingredients - and of course, was fuss free.

And finally, the granita. This stuff is GOOD. It is just. so. good. It was fabulous as a fresh dessert on its own, adorned with a handful of fresh raspberries to make it the perfect mixture of tart and sweet. It is really refreshing and I admit to sneaking back to the freezer for extra spoonfuls of it when nobody was looking! This would even be a really great base for an iced cocktail - a splash of tequila or maybe some vodka would easily transform this simple, light dessert into a truly awesome tipple for a hot summer afternoon. But don't take my word for it - best try it out for yourself!

So there it is. Done and dusted for another week! Next time we make Seared Pork Fillet & Catherine Wheel Sausage, Meaty Mushroom Sauce, Celeriac Smash and Garlicky Beans. We will also be having our youngest ever guest at the Challenge Dinner table (a very outspoken 6 year old, who I am sure will let me know if the meal is not up to scratch!). I've been looking forward to this one - anything with a mushroom sauce is reason to get excited!

Til then - Bon Appetit!

Highway 41 - North by Northwest

Yet another win on the meal front this week! We had the great pleasure of making and eating Liver & Bacon, Onion Gravy, Smashed Potato, Dressed Green and Berry & Custard Ripple. I really can't complain about a single part of this dish - either can DH's family, who joined us this week for the challenge. We subbed lamb backstrap in where the liver should be, and it worked perfectly. So here is how it went down!

The lamb was probably the simplest part of the whole meal this week, you start by frying up some bacon in a pan and then add in the meat. Leave it be. It is really that simple! If you were making the liver version of this meal, you would need to flour and season it before starting to cook it, but the lamb simply doesn't need it. I let it rest for a few minutes after we had finished cooking and the final product was a succulent, perfect piece of lamb, topped with some crispy bacon - absolutely delicious! Add to that the onion gravy (which is divine!), and you've got a gorgeous lamb dish.

The smashed potatoes are simple but really fresh and tasty. I love potato and I love finding new ways to cook it, and this is just a really simple variation on mashed potato that delivers a refreshing, tangy flavour. Simply chop up your potatoes, boil them, and when they're ready add a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper and some lemon zest before a quick mash and stir. Super simple, seems super obvious and makes a really lovely side dish!

The dressed greens are nothing all that special. We ended up using green beans and silverbeet, which was a nice fresh and crunchy dish. Steamed, seasoned and then served - easy and yum!

The dessert was absolutely lovely too. We used peaches instead of gooseberries but it came up fabulous. You start by stewing the fruit (in our case, peaches and blueberries) in their own syrup, which gives off a divine sugary scent as it bubbles away - a lot like toffee. It is a bit messy when you get all the ingredients into the serving bowl together, and even more so when you try to get it into individual cups, but nobody seemed to mind. Not a mouthful was left over once it hit the table! It is really light, fresh, sweet but not overpowering and totally delicious! The shortbread biscuits give it a nice bit of crunch too - texture is everything!

So there you go, another week done and dusted. I'm really looking forward to next week, with a beautiful Stuffed Focaccia, Prosciutto, Celeriac Remoulade, Dressed Mozzarella and Fresh Lemon & Lime Granita. Gorgeous!!

Til next time - Bon Appetit!

40 Days and 40 Nights

This week's meal is going on my personal list of favourites. If you've ever had a really, really long week (haven't we all?) that ended in a really, reeeeally long day and all you wanted to do was go home, crack open a beer and enjoy a really yummy, filling, no-fuss meal - then this is the week for you. It feels like a junk food meal, full of carbs, comfort food and even ice cream at the end, but it is far healthier and doesn't leave you with that horrible greased-up bloated feeling you get after devouring a whole pizza. Not that I've ever done that. Ahem. Anyway,  introducing my new favourite Friday Night Special, the Meatball Sandwich, Pickled Cabbage, Chopped Salad and Banana Ice Cream!

The meatballs are pretty straight forward and in terms of technique there isn't really anything new here to begin with - you throw your mince and your flavour items into a bowl (in this case it was wholegrain mustard and basil, amongst other things), give it a really good mix and then shape the meatballs before throwing them into a frying pan to cook. When they're almost done you add pancetta to the pan and stick it in the oven - I honestly think this is the move that makes the whole dish. Pancetta is awesome for flavour and the oven cooking seems to crisp up the meatballs a little more. Delicious!

The meatball sandwiches are a great opportunity to let other people do the work - I chose to just throw everything on the table and let our guests build their own sandwich. This way everyone got more of the bits they loved and less of the stuff they didn't want. Swiss cheese, pancetta, meatballs, cabbage salad and chopped salad - everyone had a different combination on their plate. The cabbage salad was really lovely, so much flavour and so much purple! It gives a really refreshing edge to what otherwise might have been quite a heavy sandwich. The chopped salad was super simple but was really fresh and tasty. It is made just the way that it sounds - you chop stuff, and turn it into a salad. Simple!

And to finish it all off, banana ice cream! It is delicious, I can't wait to make this one again and experiment with some other fruits for flavour. Some of the bananas weren't quite ripe enough so it did give the ice cream a bit of a sharp taste, but it was so creamy and lovely nobody seemed to notice. Add to that the yummy shortbread sugar biscuits and it was just a really yummy dessert! It really didn't take much effort to make the dessert, except for the fact that my blender decided it didn't want to chop frozen banana. If not for that this dessert would have been ready in about two minutes flat (with the bananas being frozen in advance, that is!). 

So there it is, meal number 40. We're on the home stretch now, with only ten delicious meals to go! Next week is the one meal we have not been looking forward to - out of the whole book, just one meal we really didn't want to have a crack at! It is Liver & Bacon, Onion Gravy, Smashed Potato, Dressed Green and Berry & Custard Ripple. We have come to the conclusion that subbing out the liver and subbing in some lovely lamb backstrap is the way to go. Because even though I am game enough to try lots of foods that are unfamiliar, and I have been told by many that liver is just so wonderful and delicious, I find it really hard to believe those people when liver doesn't make a common appearance on their home menus. So I'm saying no to the organ meat and saying yes to substitution! Hooray!

Til next time - Bon Appetit!

The Thirty-Nine Steps

Yet another lovely week has come and gone And I am proud to announce that this week was both delicious and disaster free! We had the great pleasure of devouring Steak Indian-Style, Spinach & Paneer Salad, Naan Breads and Mango Dessert. It was a really lovely, fresh combination of dishes this week  - complemented perfectly by good wine and even better company! Here is how we pulled it off...

First up, the steak. Once again, the beef was treated to some love and care before we cooked it up. It had about a half hour to marinate in some jalfrezi paste (yummy indian curry paste) and soak up all of that flavour. Then it was as simple as throwing it into a hot pan, cooking it til it was just right and then letting it have a little rest on the board before we styled it up and served it at the table. The flavour is so wonderful - it doesn't become to overbearing on the meat, it just permeates it nicely and gives it a little bit of a kick. I only wish we had marinated it earlier, I can't even imagine how yummy it would be if it'd had a day to really take on the indian flavours.

The salad was a lovely, interesting mix. When DH and I first saw the paneer on the list of ingredients we both looked at each other a little confused and went back to old faithful (google!) for some answers. As expected, it is similar to halloumi in that it is a solid cheese and doesn't melt down too much when you cook it - and it is pretty yummy too! It was a fairly basic salad - a mix of greens, carrot, alfalfa sprouts and a dressing of lemon juice. Fresh, simple, fuss-free and yum!

The meal was served with little sides - including a simple curry sauce made from jalfrezi paste and some coconut milk, some naan breads we toasted in the oven and a yoghurt tip, in case the flavours got too overwhelming. They were only small accents to the meal but they really helped to make the plate feel full and the meal more satisfying and complex. So basically, what I have learned from this is - if the table/plate  is looking a little bare, fluff it up with some dip bowls, bread, dressings and anything else you could pass off as part of the meal!

The mango dessert was dead easy and the perfect sweet, fresh end to the meal. By the time you've chowed through all the steak, bread and salad you don't really need a lot more to eat so having a small portion of mango, sweetened with some icing sugar and flavoured with some mint and lime juice, was all you could ask for. The most exciting part of the dessert was that it is officially mango season again and they are popping up in supermarkets and fruit shops everywhere - so this dish was just a lovely little reminder that the warmer weather is approaching and summer is just around the corner. Bliss!

Next week looks like the perfect blokey dish. And though I am not a bloke, I do intend to enjoy it immensely. We're looking at Meatball Sandwich, Pickled Cabbage, Chopped Salad and Banana Ice Cream - and I am absolutely looking forward to it!

Til next week - Bon Appetit!