Cookery Book Club June - MN Top Bananas! And Nigella's Summer

[Pantah630]

An early thread thanks to MNHQ generosity, the first lucky few in May managed to procure a gratis copy of the new MN cookbook, Top Banana's. At first glance it's looking good. We're also cooking from the modern classic that is Nigella's Summer.

Let the sun shine and the outdoor eating begin

Hi Solasum I am also happy to type a recipe for you

I bought my copy a couple of weeks ago and haven't cooked from it yet I know I know! Am off to find a copy of Nigella's summer.

Thank you. That would also be a great way of pushing me from my culinary comfort zone. :)

I made the scooter chicken from to bananas last might- family loved it- easy, tasty, healthy- couldn't ask for more . Very happy with my first test of top bananas

I've got the Mexican chicken in the slow cooker... Smells good!

Bought a slow cooker

Started a little early this month just made the roasted pineapple with chocolate and Malibu sauce from Nigella summer, was very nice. I added double the amount of cream and a little sugar as I used G&B really dark chocolate it was so rich I can feel a migraine coming on already!!

With regards to top bananas I have mixed feelings about it, I like the layout and general look of it. I'm not keen on the name but I think it suits mn, also the waffle at the beginning of each recipe is a little annoying, feels like the authors are trying too hard. There is a good range of recipes including some really basic recipes which if you can't cook would be really useful. I'm going to try the tandoori chicken and will give the brownies a go you never know when you might find a better brownie recipe!
Some of the sweet recipes look to be very high in sugar too and some of the savoury recipes look to be lacking in oomph think I would add some herbs and spices to quite a few.
Really wanted to like this book not quite sure what I was expecting really and I'm prob being over critical because it's mn!
I will def give some of the recipes a go and hopefully will be more impressed with the finished results.

Made the simple veg soup for lunch yesterday, oh dear! 2 litres of water was far too much liquid for the amount of vegetables, especially as the recipe said to cover the pan. I managed to salvage it by adding more lentils, but it still wasn't great and DH thought it had very little flavour.

I'm going to help toddler Dd make the 'I made them myself' biscuits today.

We had the devil on horseback bread and the kleftiko from the mn book over the weekend. The bread is great, totally evilly unhealthy but easy and delicious. The kleftiko needed some wine and slightly more careful herbs/seasoning. I felt it was a good blueprint which needed finesse but I will be tweaking it as it's nearly there and the texture of the lamb was brilliant. I'm also wondering about doing a tagine version.

So far I've made CHICKEN scooter twice. The first time the vegetables weren't quite cooked through, but that might be my oven. The second time I tweaked the temperature and used chicken pieces rather than breasts, which worked well and is a bit more economical.

DH made the banana pancakes at the weekend, which were delicious, although fussy DD didn't touch them.

And yesterday I made the tuna melt parcels.m They were loveley and very easy, although the seal on the pasty broke apart. Naybe I should have pricked them. Very tasty, although I'll add some spices next time I think.Probably a dashof paprika.

Oh, and the bread and butter pudding? absolutely gorgeous. I love b&b pudding anyway, but the raspberry jam took it up a notch.

aLSO planning to make the kleftiko at the weekend.

(sORRY for the random capitals: baby asleep on the keyboard)

We had the beef stifado last night, and the spaghetti with pesto, peas and pancetta the night before. Both were really good and I was especially pleased with how the stifado turned out as I'm not really a fan of my slow cooker. Usually anything I put in there comes out watery and lacking flavour but the stifado was lovely and rich, and the sauce was just the right consistency.

Also, I managed to get a copy of Nigella's Forever Summer at the library this morning, so will be having a look through that later.

The stifado is good- I agree. I also liked the Mexican chicken chilli - very inauthentic but super easy and tasted good (though I added chipotle chilli).

Trying the kleftiko slow cooked recipe this weekend...

I really identified with the tone if the Mumsnet book, I really enjoyed cooking before children, now seems a chore and they regularly won't eat what I cook for them. Been through a lot of toddler cook books which they seem to dislike (they are 2 and 3). Now after reading Top Bananas (strange title, is it from anything? A song?) in only going to cook what I would eat myself.

So, have done mackerel pate, very nice and the 3 year old wolfed it!! Shocked! I then did 12 hour pork which they wouldn't eat all though I put only 1 tsp chilli powder and only gave them the lighter coloured meat. Still I liked it. I kept turning it round on the slow cooker, I don't think I'd do this next time. Just leave it. Have done the "I made it" biscuits with 3 year old which she enjoyed. The only thing was the dark brown sugar was rock solid and I didn't manage to mix it all in properly. I read on the packet I should have left a damp tea towel over it overnight. So see dark brown sugar in the recipe, think overnight preparation...

Then made beefy melanzane parmigiana from Good Food magazine. And no churn vanilla ice cream from Waitrose magazine, just whip double cream and condensed milk together with vanilla pod scrapings. Have yet to try this.

Can't believe how inspired I've been to cook, it's like regaining a part of yourself!

Good to contribute to thread rather than just lurk. Nigella's summer here I come

I really want to try some new food and introduce the DC to new stuff. So I have reserved Top Bananas at the library. I also got Forever Summer by Nigella. Is that similar?

Forever summer is the right book Mc.
I tried mums net top bananas slightly spicy chicken and rice tonight. I used a rogan josh curry powder. It was lovely, exactly what it said- slightly spicy and full meal in itself. The children both ate and enjoyed it (which is rare for them) and dh and I enjoyed it. I will make this again, it was laughably easy and quick for such a satisfying end result.

Just had the mn bionic smoothie for breakfast. Wasn't sure if I'd like it but it was delicious. DH couldn't stand it though so it's obviously one that'll divide opinions!

We've just kicked off with Scooter Chicken for a lazy outdoor Sunday lunch. Went down well but I felt it could do with something extra, I was itching to add some dried oregano and/or thyme to the veg, or maybe some chilli for a kick. Boys lived it so will have again with a few tweaks.

Planning the stifado for in the week, it has a lot to live up to in this house. I looked at the kleftico comments above, DS1s favourite food, and have decided not to bother unless I add some extra herbs beforehand.

Pork and apple casserole was a huge hit here - fussy kids actually ate it! And it was easy but still tasty.

Mntb cheats tandoori chicken at the pause house today. Delicious moist chicken, the marinade was lovely ( though this I suppose depends on the paste). We had it warm in wraps with salad, eaten in the sunshine in the garden. I will be making it again, and am looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.

Pregnant, the leftovers of the tandoori chicken are delicious too! Another easy keeper of a recipe. Barely a recipe actually - but v nice...

We had the kleftiko last night, and it was delicious with some garlicky green beans and new potatoes (apricot clafoutis and custard for afters). So freaking easy too. I was extra lazy and didn't bother straining the sauce, just picked out the bay leaves. I can't really see how the sauce would benefit from straining, tbh; better to keep the onions in.

Used mixed herbs instead of oregano, and didn't have any issues with the flavouring as in Glorious's comment above; I thought it was lovely.

I also made the mushroom and broccoli soup in the week and am finishing off the last of it now. Very easy and tasty.

Hmm, what to make next?

I am enjoying the MN book, it is very good for easy dinners.

We ahve had the 3 minute sponge pudding, twice now, once with syrup and once with strawberry jam. It needs vanilla added to the ponge mix.

The banana pancakes and the cereal bars are excellent, however the bars are very sweet. I will reduce the sugar next time.

The devil on horseback bread is superb, especially with the butter nut squash soup, but I found that it stuck to my loaf tin, may have been my tin but if making this do consider lining the bottom of the tin first. I have also cookec the minestrone soup. Very good but needs more seasoning.

I really like the look of the Holy Trinity stew and once I can get my hands on some decent lamb I will try that! I also like the look of the chestnut cake right at the back, but a little put off by the fact you need to discard 500ml milk after simmering chestnuts in it! Would water work well instead?

Hmm, maybe you could also use the milk in a smoothie, Leonardo, to save wasting it

Or in a pancake batter?