I LOVE bimbimbap. There, I said it. It's been one of the 'it' meals for a while and believe me it's worth the hype. BUT, I was eating this waaay before it because the hot thing. After living in Korea, I know what makes a good bimbimbap and so I'm reluctant to try a recipe from somewhere that isn't from Maangchi or learned from someone Korean.
I've been trying to entice The Hubby to try more veggies so I knew he would go for this, such is our love for the ricey, spicy goodness that is bibimbap! I found a recipe for bimbimbap from Alice Hart's book Good Veg. What attracted me to this recipe were the lack of ingredients, nothing more I hate than an endless list of ingredients - all of which I don't have at home!
Yay or Nay: Yay
I must say, I'm impressed. Mostly with the sauce - it is pretty identical to ones used in Korean Kimbap shops. The mushrooms were nice and savoury, the peppers added sweetness and the wilted spinach was subtly gingery! I
did sub some of the veggies for ones I had available or for preference,
but the beauty of this dish is that you can combine a whole bunch of
things and as long as you have the sauce - it's dynamite!
I've needed a new spin on classics such as the humble quiche, I mean I can do bacon and cheddar until the cows come home, but a 'healthier' version is always worth a try. I was intrigued by Hemsley + Hemsley's almond crust and naturally enamored by bacon, spinach and caramelised onions!
This recipe for Caramelised Onion Tart with an Almond Flour Base is a similar version to Hemsley + Hemsley's version of Spinach and Bacon Tart with a Nutty Almond Crust.
Yay or Nay: Yay
I'll admit that I didn't use the recipe for the tart base as I didn't have enough eggs to make it, plus I figured there was enough fat with the bacon so I didn't want to add it where I didn't need to! Yes, there is no final picture as I overflowed the tart and slightly overbaked it - despite that it was pretty tasty. I did add mushrooms when the option was either bacon or mushrooms - I have to say I would stick with one or the other as the flavours mind of meld into each other and you don't get to appreciate each mouthful! The only, very small, downside is that it is a little greasy the next day for leftovers so I would throw out half the fat when cooking next time.
In an effort to eat more fish I had spotted magazine Real Simple's recipe for Kale, Lemon, Artichoke and Caper Fish Packet and immediately knew I'd make it. I have seen similar versions with spinach instead of kale but it's pretty much the same thing. Choose a fish you'd like to steam, add lemons, green leafy greens, artichokes, capers and wrap it up in parchment paper. The best thing, not a dirty dish in sight!
I paired this dish with crash potatoes which I have made from Pioneer Woman's recipe online which you can find here.
Yay or Nay: Yay
I've made this a bunch of times, even before the blog started so I know it's a fail-safe recipe. It's a great light supper that you can prepare ahead of time and delicious to boot!
I made a different version of this pasta salad for Mother's Day but I pretty much made it the regular way, i.e. buying a jar of pesto and adding it to cooked pasta. This time I wanted to make my own as I have an over abundance of basil from my windowsill garden and why not?! If it doesn't work out then at least I can say I tried right?
I found this recipe (and there are countless on Pinterest) in Ruby Roth's book 'The Help Yourself Cookbook For Kids'. Judging by how easy her other recipes are (I mean, they're for kids - how hard can they be?) I knew this could be a winner.
Yay or Nay: Yay
I don't know if you've tried other vegan/veggie pesto recipes but this is AMAZING! It really does taste like real pesto - which kind of makes me question what is actually in those supermarket jars of pesto. Don't bother with them, make this NOW!
TIP: I used cashews instead of the traditional pine nuts (which are extortionately expensive - why exactly?!) and Ruth does give other options for nuts.
I'd read in the weekend paper that it is recommended that you eat at least two and a half cups of veggies a day. I did a quick calculation of what I usually eat in a day and it definitely fell short. Now I consider myself a pretty healthy eater but this scared me a little as I knew I wasn't getting half of that. Anyway, I browsed the net for recipes that would include more veggies and most importantly disguise them for the Hubby. This Spicy Shrimp with Cauliflower Mash ticked the (more) seafood box and the hiding-the-veggies box too, no harm in trying right?
Yay or Nay: Hmm...in the middle
It's meant to be one or the other right, but this divided us both. We both loved the shrimp, it was seasoned well and had a nice kick. However, the mash was, er, interesting. Yes I didn't use the white beans so maybe that affected it but the texture was slightly off. The cornmeal thickened but made it look a little unappetising. Even though I've cut down on my cheese intake, it definitely needed more cheese to add somedepth of flavour and DO NOT SKIP the salt, as I learned the hard way, I can promise you it will be a tasteless mealy slop.
I remember seeing this recipe for Spinach and Feta Pie on TV and I never got the chance to cook it as my living situation at the time didn't allow me to have control of the kitchen! Anyway when I did get the chance I jumped on this recipe. Now, Jamie promised it would be a 30 minute meal which is a big ask! He made it look so easy, would it be like that for me??
Yay or Nay: Yay!
Admittedly it took me a few tries to get this down but the instructions aside from the filo pastry assembling is pretty straightforward. Definitely don't skip the baking sheet part as it makes for less cleaning which no one likes after a long day. I do like to part bake mine if I know it'll be for dinner the next night, then reheat and bake the rest of the way on the night you'll eat it.
