Would you like to help us test recipes for the Mumsnet Cookbook?

[CatherineHMumsnet]

Shhh .. don't tell everyone but we're working on a top secret new project in the form of The Mumsnet Cookbook and we need your help.

We'd like to get together a Mumsnet Cookbook cookery group to stop us from piling on the pounds help us test these shortlisted recipes.

Each volunteer will be allocated a recipe which they'll then cook for their family and give us some feedback on how easy, hard, good, bad, expensive etc they are and whether they'd make it again. All the recipes chosen were submitted over the years by Mumsnetters, so there shouldn't be any outlandish or particularly difficult to source ingredients - and they should all be pretty easy to make (we hope!).

As a thank-you, we'll be putting everyone who helps out into a prize draw to win a Bloomsbury cookbook.

And if that's not enough of an incentive, everyone who helps will have their *Mumsnetter nickname featured in the cookbook's acknowledgements.

snow am sitting on my hands trying not to "embellish" the recipes

See that's the thing - I look at the recipes and I'm not convinced about them even before I start...depends who your target audience is. But the lack of onion or garlic? If I was so short of time that I couldn't fry a bit of onion or garlic I'd buy Dolmio and I never buy that stuff! Think this may not be the best project for me!

Snoworneahva - would you do the 'Pot noodle' please?

Laptop - if you think recipes need embellishing - add it to your feedback, it's all taken into account!

Chipthefish - what would you like to do?

snow there are lots of different recipes with varying levels of input

i've done a few, some have been inedible, some are now regulars chez UnC

it's worth sticking around IMO

On the case - will consider embellishing if needed.

Do you still need any help? I'm off work atm so could do with a project!

Yes please hackneybird - if you look back to my post above from Monday - we're still looking for someone to try the spicy pasta sauce - and we'd like all those recipes tested by two people ideally.

Ok Catherine, when do you need it tested by? I can do it early next week if that helps?

Am done! and also tried the spicy tomato sauce?..

I think I can test the pot noodles on Saturday, where can I get the feedback form from?

HI,
I would love to test them.
I write a food blog and I imagine it would be great fun.
Check out my food blog
vaish.sengupta.net/of-cloves-and-capers/

Hi Hackneybird - soon as really. If you could do it today/tomorrow that'd be very useful.

Snoworneahva - here it is - I'll also PM you with it.

Catherine - the link works just fine - will make the noodles tomorrow.

Snoworneahva - thanks!

Two more recipes up for grabs - both hopefully fast dishes you can make in under 15 minutes.

egg-fried cauli rice

stir-fried turkey with red peppers

Who would like to test them for us this week?

the egg fried cauli rice sounds absolutely delicious. reporting back this weekend!
I can already say I will shave the cauli with a knife rather that blitz as the consistency would just not be grainy enough otherwise.

Laptop I make cauli rice at least once a week, blitzing it in the food processor works well - you need to use the pulse function and don't over load - better to do two batches. Hth.

Can I try the egg fried cauli rice?

thanks snow will pulse away then.
catherine try!??nothing like a bit of creative shopping to calm down after a long day!

If anyone is interested? my 2 versions of cauli "rice"

1. FRENCH: Finely chop garlic, parsley, shallot, cornichons & toss into olive oil. You can actually add any other fresh aromatic herb such as tarragon/chervil/coriander. Dry fry cauli rice in a knob of butter, turn heat off and toss in aromatic olive oil. season with lots of black pepper. This can also be the base of a cauli rice "taboule" (add chopped nuts, seeds, tomatoes, cucumber etc?..)

2)INDIAN:
chop 1 shallot and a clove of garlic, soften in a little bit of butter+oil & add cauli rice. Remove and reserve.
Toss cumin seeds and black mustard seeds in a little more oil until they start popping, add a dash of tumeric and fold in the cauli rice on very low fire. season and add chopped green chilli and a squeeze of lime if you fancy.

Another recipe that needs testing - this time it's for anyone with a slow cooker.

Slow-cooked beef brisket

Who'd like to have a go?

EstoyAqui - yes please do!

Still looking for someone to try both the stir-fried turkey (you're very welcome to use chicken if turkey's not your thing) and the beef brisket.

Any takers?

any more veggie/fish recipes coming up, Catherine?