Cookery book club - June - Mexican Food Made Easy (Thomasina Miers) and Thirty Minute Meals (Jamie Oliver)

[Curioustiger]

Come join the Mumsnet cookery bookclub! Each month we choose two cookery books - one popular, like Nigella / Jamie / Delia, so you probably already have it / can borrow it and one a bit more unusual. We cook a minimum of two recipes each - you choose the recipe, they just have to be ones you have never cooked before- which works out at four new recipes each month.Then we chat about them!

For May, our books were:

• Jerusalem by Ottolenghi
• Kitchen Diaries

And we posted here

For June our books are:

• Mexican Food Made Easy by Thomasina Miers
• Thirty Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver

For July our books will be:

• Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Veg Every Day
• Madhur Jaffrey Ultimate Curry Bible

We will always try to pick at least one book with recipes available on the Internet, and local libraries are great for cookbooks if you can order in advance. We pick books three months ahead so will be choosing August's books this month.

Had the steak burritos tonight, which were nice enough, though not sure I really see what the difference is from fajitas.
My DH has also been dipping into the chipotle jar as a sandwich spread, though he has it with cheddar. (And yes, glorious, I love cheese!)

Green chilli and corn soup tonight from TM. Very nice. I used yogurt as a garnish instead of sour cream, and dipped in leftover corn tortillas I had crisped up in the oven. Easy too. I'll do it again.

karma it's a bit of a weekend project but I think the standout recipe is the chicken mole with ground nuts (almonds?), green olives, chorizo etc. such rich complex flavours. I honestly think it's as good as wahaca. If you have time do try it (TM evangelist)

Thanks tiger I'll take a look at it and possibly make it at the weekend. Doesn't sound like the kind of thing we would normally eat but the whole point of the thread is to try new things so I'll give it a go if there's time on Sunday!

karma this is the recipe that really ignited my ice for Mexican food which is now my all time favourite, so please forgive me gushing, but it's one of those recipes where you can't imagine what it will taste like until you've tried it. Or at least I found it so. I am not a massive fan of olives even but every mouthful was a revelation. To the point where my daughter's second birthday party was entirely themed around Mexican food so I could cook it again, which was rather a surprise to some of the guests!

Ice should read love. How did that happen?

Tonight we had the chicken adobado (I think! Now stuck upstairs feeding DD) with green rice and pink pickled onions.

The chicken was tasty though next time I'd want to make more of a sauce with the marinade because the flavour could have been stronger. We both really liked the green rice, it had a nice level of interest which perked it up without overwhelming. The onions were a good accompaniment but I've made too many.

I did also blend some spatula into the rice Added woody notes...

Made my final Jamie recipe tonight: the chicken pie, but with normal onion instead of spring onion and sweetcorn instead of mushrooms because for the first time in all of eternity there were none in the veg box. I can rustle up a chicken pie without a recipe but thought I'd stick with him in the spirit of the thread, and it went down well with DCs. Mustard added a nice depth to the sauce.
Just had a reminder from the library that it's due back on Saturday, and though I'm glad I've cooked from it... on balance I don't think I'll miss it.
The only thing I think I'll make again is the salsa verde, which was so delicious the recipe is now on a Post-It on the side of the fridge.

DH and I just booked in a date night, where we will make at least 5 things from TM, including prawn coctel (which we are obviously only allowed to pronounce like cartoon Mexican banditos), 2 different taco fillings, green rice, one of the salsas, one of the salads and a lot of a few tamarind margaritas. Thought we might as well finish the month with a blowout (and he works away Mon-Fri, so I don't get much chance to go crazy with the spicy stuff during the week).

So that's me done for June. I have enjoyed reading about everyone's experiences + look forward to seeing you all in July!

Oh, and forgot to post last week after TM's 'humble pie' - it looked like student slop when dished up, but actually tasted really good. The blended corn topping was sweet and surprisingly delicious, a lovely contrast to the feta and tomato sauce. Good with a ton of salad + a really lemony dressing.
PS if anyone's tempted, it might be worth doing the roasted tomato sauce in advance rather than simultaneously, which involved Jamie-esque rinsing of blender mid-recipe.

Maniac, your feast sounds epic. Good luck!

I agree with the comment about making the roasted tomato sauce in advance. In fact, so many of my favourite recipes from TM involve using the sauce (enchiladas and humble pie spring to mind) that I make it in vast quantities and freeze it in portions so I can make a quick dinner when needed.

Can I just ask those who have made the chipotles - what did you put it in afterwards? No kilner jars here, so I was wondering if I could freeze it in small quantities, so whether I could just stick it in lunch boxes. Views appreciated!

Science I have mine in various shapes and sizes of recycled jars, also frozen in old marg tubs in the freezer. Haven't needed to defrost any yet so no idea how it will survive the experience!
Think DCs might get a bit of a shock if I put it in their lunch boxes

Coming to the end of the month I find myself more impressed by Jamie Oliver's 30 min meals - we didn't follow the exhausting run around the kitchen for 30 mins but we picked up some good recipes - loved the Kimchee slaw, the sea bass and the mustard chicken....still have my sights on the piri piri. The Mexican book I have yet to fully embrace - loved the chipotle obsession, already make a guacamole similar to her recipe, tried to make the pork scratchings but couldn't get pig skin, will try again today...I haven't given up on her......I'm just not feeling the love yet!

Mmm, chorizo, potato and cheese quesadillas. Evil. Mostly fat. Tasty.

They sound nice glorious, will have to try.

Pork scratchings brined and drained, now drying in the fridge :)

Did I post since I did the green rice? Hope I'm not repeating myself but we enjoyed it although not such a hit as the red rice. For some reason my dds insisted on putting tomato ketchup on theirs. No idea why as they're not big ketchup eaters but they insisted it was lovely like that!

Well be doing the sea bass and pancetta on Saturday and then I'm done for June.

Darn it, why did I have to go and flick through Jamie again just before I take it back to the library? Spotted the fish tagine and the prawn red curry meal, which I must have skimmed over before.
Is either worth renewing the book for? Might just photocopy for future ref.

Pantah those pork scratchings sound like a real mission, and one I could be persuaded to embark on... please report back!

Managed to get hold of some pig skin today - will start them off tomorrow - plan to have pork scratchings with guacamole and tequila on Saturday evening, sitting in the sun.....if it arrives!

Tortilla soup tonight. I've made it loads of times before but it's always fab. The surplus will go in the freezer

I did the chorizo, potato and cheese qursidllas last night, but substituted half the potato with parboiled, diced carrot. They were delicious with and fiery salsa for me and dh, a ketchup for the girls. Easy and delicious (I won't mention the fat)

They're good leftover for breakfast too!

I've made the chicken and chirizo with ground almond mole today. It took a long time with poaching the chicken and frying everything one by one, but it was nice. I didn't add olives and separated a portion, and added chipotle paste at the end so I could give the girls a non spicy alternative, so perhaps, based on tigers recommendation this is where I went wrong. It may need to be made spicy from the off. ( but my Dc really really enjoyed their non spicy mole)

I'm not a fan of poached meat generally, and found the chicken a bit sloppy for me, plus a whole chicken in one recipe makes me cringe. Especially when there's chirizo added as well! But I know most don't balk quite like me at over using meat.

I might end up doing it again properly as I rate tigers opinion and think I probably went wrong.

I have just put some black beans in to soak for cooking tomorrow, I really have.got a Mexican feel going, I'm not ready to stop cooking. (This is how you all felt after Jerusalem )

Pregnant, do extra black beans, they freeze really well, either cooked as they are or refried. I am loving having little tubs if refried beans in the freezer

Did the jo sea bass with pancetta this evening. Not a success at all, probablY more down to the state of mind of my family than anything else. My three year old was desperate for her fish and got in the way while I was cooking to the extent that she ended up sitting in the bowl containing the dressing for the vegetables . When she eventually got her fish she choked on it and got so upset that she refuses to try any more. Dd1 got upset by the general noise and refused hers too. Dh enjoyed his sea bass but I don't think either of us were blown away by the side dishes and the flavours seemed to overpower the fish a bit for us. The pudding was ok, but nothing special. Not sure I'll bother again, or maybe just do the sea bass part but not the sides.

That's me finished for June, see you all in July!

My beans are still soaking after a manic day. But I've popped back to say the leftover chicken and chorizo mole is delicious! I love it today!

pregnant I reckon no olives for the mole would be fine as they are more of a punchy garnish than an integral flavour iykwim (also it's a pain to get just 50g of olives, if I remember rightly!) But I think adding the chipotle early on night make the difference. Perhaps that's why your flavours have developed to the full today? I am so glad you like it by the way!