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Original poster

Deliciously Ella anyone?

77 replies

wrenster · 02/03/2015 19:42

I've just received her new cook book for my bday and am very chuffed indeed!

Has anyone tried anything yet? A lot will be experimentation for me as I've never cooked that way before but I can't wait to try (wont be going vegan though!)

Any recommendations?

OP posts:
Artygrandma · 31/03/2015 15:29

Did you use the recipe from the book for superfood bread? I tried it and it failed. Any tips as it is an expensive way for me to feed the birds!

artylady14 · 31/03/2015 16:21

Halogenaque. I made the lentil bolognese as the first dish from her book and was not impressed at all. I could tell just from reading the list of ingredients but did it anyway. It was just a very, very tomatoey mix of lentils with not much else. I halved the amounts to make it for two people and still had enough for four that we then threw away as couldnt stand to eat it. A whole tube of tomato puree for two people? It was not nice at all. Have no idea why she said it was so popular.

Original poster
wrenster · 01/04/2015 00:49

Will have to give the Nutella a go, sounds like the kids will love it.

Superfood bread - definitely awful and would not do again

Chilli - thought this was delicious and made absolutely loads. No one else would eat it but then DH thinks any meal without meat in it is not 'a meal'.

Just a cook book for me really which I like for a change!

OP posts:
Cantdothisagain · 01/04/2015 07:12

The almond butter is really good! I can't stop eating it. Love the cinnamon sweet potato wedges too.

The banana oat cookies are nice but I prefer them fatter than her suggestion.

The lentil bolognaise I agree is not good. There's a lentil bolognaise on the Good Food site that is aimed at kids that is better!

Agirlworthfightingfor · 01/04/2015 13:35

Have done both Ella and Good Food lentil bols. Ella so expensive with all those sun dried tomatoes and a whole thing of tomato purée! and yes just so so tomatoey which doesn't necessarily equal deliciousness.

The good food one is much nicer.

Neither are bolognese though.

Agirlworthfightingfor · 01/04/2015 13:36

Oh also a friend made the lasagne. It was awful!

I'm all for delicious vegetable dishes but why try and substitute.

I always love all sorts of salads, vegetable curries etc but 'this vegetable burger tastes just like the real thing' type stuff is always disappointing because you are trying to pretend it's something else.

Applecross · 01/04/2015 13:41

I made the Brazil nut cheese and like that although im knackering my food processor out :) made coconut porridge this morning and like that a lot

Agirlworthfightingfor · 01/04/2015 15:31

Mine smells of burnt rubber now!

MissBartlett · 01/04/2015 16:16

I've been trying it too and want to love it but everything is just....ok. Have tried the blueberry muffins (yack. Very stodgy and heavy although the taste was fine); black bean cookies (from the site. Nice, kids quite liked them but not cookie enough for me - not crisp at all and went very soggy overnight in an airtight tin) and have tried the date and oat bars too. Which are fine but would be much nicer with butter! I'll keep trying though as I love the idea of healthier baking/cooking.

I've always loved red velvet and chocolate heartache as a baking book which uses less fat/sugar and more veg/fruit and generally the recipes are more successful. But that might just be me!

MissBartlett · 01/04/2015 16:19

Love the idea of the gnocchi & pea pesto though. Anyone tried that?

artylady14 · 07/04/2015 18:27

Thinking of making her vegan lasagne. Has anyone made it??

SundayThymes · 07/04/2015 18:46

The lasagne is awful!

artylady14 · 07/04/2015 21:53

SundayThymes - haha! Oh no! I have only made one dish so far and it was the lentil bolognese. It was awful, too.

artylady14 · 07/04/2015 21:55

So can anyone recommend a great vegan/veggie cookbook instead?

987flowers · 08/04/2015 07:46

It's not vegan but Veg by Hugh f-w is really good. Even my husband who never wants to eat a veggie meal enjoys these recipes!

SundayThymes · 08/04/2015 09:02

All the things that are not pretending to be 'even scrummier than the real thing' like salads, but butters etc are delicious. The things like sweet potato brownies and lasagne are NOT.

SundayThymes · 08/04/2015 09:16

*nut butters

artylady14 · 08/04/2015 12:31

Thanks 987 flowers. My husband is anti- veggie meals and I'm trying to get him to eat less meat.

Applecross · 08/04/2015 13:07

Tricky - dh is less than enthusiastic about some Ella recipes but I've lost quite a bit of hard to shift weight since I've been eating more nuts

PrimroseVilliers · 12/04/2015 13:26

I made the warm winter salad which comprises of spinach, baked aubergine slices, pine nuts , tomatoes and a dressing of lime and tahini.

I swapped the spinach for kale as that's what I had and I used fresh tomatoes as opposed to the sun dried ones. It was absolutely delicious! I was quite surprised.

abrielle · 13/04/2015 07:36

I've just bought the book. Ella mentions sachets of coconut cream (as opposed to creamed coconut). Does anyone know where I can buy this, please?

SundayThymes · 13/04/2015 08:28

Don't kbow about sachets but coconut cream is in all supermarkets m.tesco.com/h5/groceries/r/www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=272374929

slicedfinger · 13/04/2015 08:40

I seem to remember getting coconut cream in a box rather than a tin once, and there were sachets inside the box.

abrielle · 13/04/2015 08:55

That sounds like a possibility, sliced finger. Any idea where you got this, please?

PrimroseVilliers · 13/04/2015 09:15

I'm currently eating the chia breakfast pudding! It's actually quite nice. I blended a banana, coconut milk, blueberries and a tablespoon of peanut butter in the nutribullet and then stirred through half a million chia seeds. Left overnight in the fridge and topped with fresh pineapple and pomegranate seeds.

Yes. Nice. I'd recommend.