Can Leftovers Be Exciting? The Beauty of a Hodge P...

When my sister and I were teenagers we used to dread hearing our mom say, ‘tonight, we’re having a hodge podge meal.’ I still don’t know what it was about those words that struck fear into our hearts, because the meals were always wonderful. Thinking back I guess the idea of using leftovers to prepare a main meal seemed unexciting and bland.

Of course I now love preparing my own hodge podge meals and tonight that’s exactly what I did. What’s so wonderful about using leftovers is that you can get really creative finding ways to make them extra special. It’s even better if you’re able to combine them with some fresh ingredients.

We had some roast turkey left over from Sunday and 2 rashers of smoked back bacon that didn’t get used for our weekend fry up. I combined those with some cabbage and a chopped shallot and served it over mashed potatoes. Not only did it help clear out the fridge it was also filling, tasty and comforting – a true hodge podge meal!

Here is my recipe for Hodge Podge Turkey, Bacon, Cabbage and Shallots on Mashed Potatoes.

Ingredients;

2 rashers of smoked back bacon cut into squares.

Approximately 1 cup of chopped roast chicken or turkey.

1 medium shallot finely chopped.

½ small savoy cabbage chopped into strips.

¼ cup of chicken or vegetable stock.

1 Tablespoon of olive oil.

Method;

Fry the bacon rashers and shallot in the olive oil until bacon is cooked through and shallot is soft.

Add the turkey or chicken chunks and mix well to heat through. About 5-6 minutes.

Add the cabbage and give all the ingredients a good stir in the pan.

Add the chicken or vegetable stock (this helps soften the cabbage) and let everything simmer for 10 – 15 minutes until the stock has been absorbed.

Serve at once on mashed potatoes and enjoy!

Coffee and Chocolates: A Sunday Treat....

Weekends should be a time when you can relax and unwind without feeling guilty. However sometimes it’s impossible to completely switch off, especially if you’re trying to balance your working week with extra curricular activities.

At the moment I am studying Aromatherapy and do the majority of my work on the weekend. To help keep me going my husband will make me a special coffee and add a few treats on the side.

Today he made an Americano which definitely put a spring in my step. He also put some chocolate truffles on the side. These ones from Hotel Chocolate really gave me my chocolate fix.

The great news is my homework is done and I can now sit back and relax!

Red Peppers Stuffed with Refried Beans and Goats C...

I was at a loss for what to make for dinner tonight. There were 2 large red peppers languishing at the bottom of my crisper so I decided to look for a recipe for stuffing them. Luckily I had some goat cheese on hand but I wasn’t sure what else to add as a filling.

Trawling through recipe sites I found one for Red Peppers, Red Beans and Goat Cheese, which sounds delicious. Of course I was missing the kidney beans and the butternut squash so I needed to make some adjustments.

For my recipe I used a tin of refried beans which I heated up with 2 chopped shallots, 2 cloves of minced garlic and the bits of pepper that were around the stems. I added some mushrooms toward the end.

I had already starting roasting peppers – without the mixture – and after about 20 minutes took them out and crumbled some goat cheese in the bottom. I then added some of the refried bean mixture about ½ way up the pepper and then added some more cheese and another layer of the mixture.

Once the peppers were completely stuffed I covered the top of them with the rest of the goat cheese. I put them back in the oven for a further 30 – 40 minutes or until soft.

They looked and smelled delicious! The only problem was I got my timing wrong and my husband was another 20 minutes getting home from work. The result was that the peppers became very soft and one fell over spilling its contents all over the baking tray.

It didn’t look pretty but boy did it taste great! I will try the original recipe at some point – I love the idea of adding kidney beans and butternut squash!

Imbolc: The Maiden Returns....

The beginning of February, in the Northern Hemisphere, is a time to celebrate the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc. We are just beginning to feel the first stirrings of Spring. The days are lengthening, there are signs of growth in the earth and the birds seem to sing more loudly and cheerfully. Brigid the Goddess of Spring has returned and has brought with her the sun, whose rays are warming the earth, bringing it back to life after the cold dark days of winter.

Food wise Imbolc is linked with milk, specifically ewes milk as it’s around this time of year that they begin lactating. For a special Imbolc supper you could have a cheese plate with a hearty salad and some crusty bread on the side. Any type of cheese will do, it doesn’t have to be sheep’s cheese if that isn’t to your liking. Just make sure that it’s natural cheese, nothing coloured or artificial.

As this time of year is about celebrating the return of fertility to the Earth, make time to connect with nature. Go for walks and get out in your garden. It may be too early to start sowing seeds outdoors but you can certainly plant bulbs; crocus, daffodils and tulips are a beautiful addition to any garden. If you don’t have access to a garden, consider buying a house plant. Just make sure that if you share your home with an animal companion the plants aren’t harmful or toxic to them.

Another way to celebrate is to create an altar for your home or garden. I love altars because they give me a special place where I can focus and meditate on my intentions for the upcoming days, weeks or months. They also keep me mindful about the earth, help strengthen my connection to her seasons and remind me of my own unique place in the world.

There really are no hard and fast rules when creating an altar. Have fun and be creative. For Imbolc I tend to use colours that remind me of the lengthening days. I also like to include food which I leave out for the Fairies and birds afterwards. Apples are always a favourite and I make sure I only buy organic ones. I also buy something for my garden and this year I bought some grape hyacinths which I can’t wait to plant.

Over the coming weeks, find ways to honour the earth and reconnect with nature. Whatever you choose to do enjoy yourself, have fun and remember that Spring is on her way!

For my Indoor Imbolc Altar I used;

• A bright yellow scarf that belonged to my grandmother (she always made me happy).
• A Goddess figurine my sister made for me many years ago (thanks sis!).
• A white candle.
• 3 lemon and rose Turkish delights (my grandmother loved them but they also seem to be a particular favourite of the Fairies)
• A glass of organic milk with honey, cinnamon and nutmeg (once again for the Fairies)
• My newly purchased Grape Hyacinths.

Imbolc Altar

Garden Offerings

White Bean and Vegetable Soup....

It’s easy to get stuck in the cooking comfort zone. It has happened to me many times. I suddenly realize I have a weekly rotation of the same (or very similar) dishes and it’s been ages since I tried anything new. While it’s great to enjoy your favourite meals it’s also important to branch out and try new ingredients, a variety of cuisines and different cooking techniques.

You really don’t know what you’ve been missing until you’ve tried it and for me cook books are a wonderful source of inspiration. I could look at them all day! For Christmas a friend bought my husband and I Gordon Ramsay’s World Kitchen. It is a great book full of recipes from around the world.

What caught our eye right away was a recipe for White Bean and Vegetable Soup (see Gordon in action here). This was such an easy dish to make and it was packed full of flavour. The sprinkling of feta on top is a nice touch, adding saltiness and a lovely creamy texture to the soup.

We have already selected more recipes to try and are determined to make our way through the whole book. Cook books are a great way to increase your cooking repertoire and bring a bit more inspiration into your kitchen!

Nachos With Homemade Guacamole....

Saturday night is nacho night. I love Tex Mex food and nachos are always top of my list. I especially love them with sour cream and homemade guacamole.

I mash 3 large avocados in a bowl. I do like my guacamole chunky so I don’t mash them too much. If you prefer a smoother mix you can always purée the avocados in a blender.

I add lemon juice which stops the avocados turning brown. It also adds a nice tang to the dish. Usually 2-3 Tablespoons is enough but tasting and seasoning as you go along is important.

I also add salt and pepper and 1-2 cloves of minced garlic to taste. If you like a bit of extra spice you can add some chilli flakes.

Guacamole is great with nachos but I also love it on toasted bagels too!

Puffed Cauliflower Cheese....

This is an absolutely amazing cauliflower cheese recipe! It works well as a main course but it also makes a great side dish. The real treat with this dish is the whipped egg whites which create a beautiful puffy texture and the bread crumbs on top which give it some added crunch.

While this might be slightly more labour intensive then other cauliflower cheese recipes it is absolutely worth it.

Tonight I made some minor adjustments to the recipe. The cauliflower I had was quite small so I also included a few boiled new potatoes in the mix. The result was a big bowl of comfort.

Give this recipe a try – you won’t be disappointed!

Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich....

Growing up I remember my mum making the best grilled cheese sandwiches. I would have them when I came home from school for lunch, usually with some tomato soup or ketchup on the side and The Flintstones on the T.V.  Although my television tastes have changed, this magical combination of fried bread, melted cheese and tomato is still top of the list of foods I would want if I was stranded on a desert island.

Sure there are all kinds of ways to jazz it up but for me the best way is still;

• 2 slices of plain white bread buttered on the outside.
• Some cheddar cheese to put in between (of course!).
• A hot frying pan in which to grill the sandwich until it turns a rich golden colour on both sides.

The tomato soup and ketchup are optional but they are great for dipping the sandwiches into.

I consider myself a pro when it comes to making this for lunch but I am the first to admit that my mum still makes the best ones. I guess it’s just one of those meals that will always taste better when mum makes it!

Kitchen Tools: A Main Ingredients Hand Grater....

It’s important to purchase good quality kitchen tools. Not only can they make your life easier in the kitchen but they can also help introduce you to new techniques and cooking methods.

I recently purchased a large Prestige Main Ingredients Hand Grater which is the perfect tool for zesting lemons, limes and oranges. It is also wonderful for finely grating garlic and ginger and for putting those extra special touches of parmesan cheese on pasta dishes, salads and soups.

For ages the only grater I had was a box grater. It is perfect for grating large blocks of cheese but I found it hard to use when I needed things finely grated or zested. The hand grater is a great and inexpensive kitchen tool and I would recommend one of these for anyone who is serious about cooking.

One of the first recipes I used the grater for was Nigella Lawson’s, Linguine with lemon, garlic and thyme mushrooms. In fact, I bought it so I could make this very dish, and it was absolutely worth it!

Give this recipe a try. It is simple, elegant and delicious and while you’re at it, why not treat yourself to some new tools for your kitchen!

White Bean and Turkey Chilli....

This is the perfect lunch for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The recipe comes from one of my favourite chefs, Giada De Laurentiis and is a real winter warmer.

Although I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand for her white bean and chicken chilli, I compromised and the results were just as good.

I halved the recipe as I was making this for two, but I still used one whole onion and 4 cloves of garlic.

Instead of chicken I used turkey and substituted savoy cabbage for the swiss chard.

This also gave me an opportunity to use cannellini beans which I have never used before. For my version of the recipe I only used 1 can.

I also made a few changes to the spices as I was missing both fennel seeds and chilli powder. Instead I used;

• 1 heaping Tablespoon of Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon of dried Oregano
• 3 teaspoons of Garam Masala

I added salt and pepper to taste and actually forgot to add the red pepper flakes towards the end of cooking, so it wasn’t as hot and spicy as it could have been.

Everything was in the pot and cooked within 20 minutes – then it just simmered away for another 45 minutes before I served it up with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

I will definitely make this again!