2016 cookery book challenge

[Whataboutreindeer]

I received four new cookery books for Christmas, these join my rather large collection. Some of my cookery books have barely been opened, I tend to google for recipes or cook dishes from Good Food magazine. So, this year I aim to cook at least one recipe from every cookery book I own. I'm hoping this will allow me to let go of the books that aren't to my taste and make better use of the books that are.

I do online shopping on a Sunday evening so during my meal plan and shopping evening I will select a book and decide on my recipe. I need to count my books to see if it will be one a week or more / less.

I'll post back here with a picture of my pile and how many recipes I need to get through!

[Tallformyage]

I also am addicted to cookery books! My favourite at the moment is Hemsley & Hemsley. Heatlhy food but not veggie, kids love the recipes and don't realise there are so many hidden veggies.

Also just got Anna Jones veggie cookbook, some lovely recipes such as the Dahl. Yum. Didn't rate Deliciously Ella, loved the cookies but the other recipes were badly researched I found.

Enjoying Jamie's superfood too but my go to book is Everyday Asian from Bill Granger.

The other 60 books are a little dusty though and need a cull!

[NeverNic]

So started with the Easy Quinoa recipe in Deliciously Ella. The tamari sautéed broccoli and courgettes were delicious and I'm definitely converted to using that over soy. However her method for quinoa with the brand I had (and I only had white not mixed like her) made frogspawn. I would try quinoa again but follow the packet recipe instead. Also wasn't sold that the tahini, tamari and lemon particularly made an improvement in flavour. Maybe if it was cooked better then it would have, but I would also try it before adding the tahini next time.

[Gloria42]

To be honest Whataboutnodetox the paprika in the cornflake topping stood out the more than anything else! I'd struggle to know there was cinnamon in it at all if I hadn't made it myself!

[Whataboutnodetox]

Hi Gloria :-) I like the sound of the cornflakes, can you tell me if it is very cinnamon heavy? I guess as its Dijon mustard it's not as strong, I don't have any Dijon so might try it with yellow. Thanks for sharing, it's great to have someone have tried a recipe and be able to recommend it!

[Gloria42]

I've been lurking on this thread up to now as I got Simply Nigella for Christmas. Tonight I made the crunchy cornflake chicken dish. It was really delicious. I used half the mustard as I was a little scared by the thought of 70g but the mustard flavour was very subtle. Definitely a make again in this house.

[Whataboutnodetox]

Chicken Cosima made this evening, even my two year old enjoyed it. I really enjoyed it and it was pretty simple to make so it will go onto my list of meals to make again. So the Nigella book is staying so far!

[Cookingongas]

I made simply nigella sprout stir fried rice yesterday- odd but actually very nice. I used mixed basmati and wild rice so not exactly to the recipe. I loved the pineapple, though the rest of the family felt it was too sweet. I'll make it again next time I have sprouts aplenty.

[Whataboutnodetox]

Nic, maybe I will have a look at it. I've heard good things About deliciously Ella.

Salted - love that you had to eat the Stilton! My Christmas stuff didn't get eaten so is in the freezer. Good to know mine aren't the only ones that look nothing like hers, I always think the "heaped tablespoon" dollop she specifies is too big. I'm looking forward to the Cosima! Glad it's easy and now reviewed :-)

[saltedcaramelhotchoc]

I don't have the Glow book either but am tempted by cheap Kindle edition...

Ella uses expensive ingredients but typically the same ones again and again eg tahini, maple syrup, nuts, which makes life easier. But I find her a bit hit and miss...

[NeverNic]

Haha. Me neither, though I saw her on This Morning and she mentioned some FOMAP recipes. My DH has IBS and is very overweight so I've bought it to have a read through. I got Deliciously Ella for Christmas and a lot of what she writes about makes sense for him, though her recipes are vegan and I would have to add meat for him. Fine for me and my boys though. Completely agree about the ingredients though.

[saltedcaramelhotchoc]

Those Nigella cookies are so easy and good! Mine came out looking different from hers too but still good.

Chicken cosima is very easy and very good!

I made leek and potato soup for lunch and it was vile! Too watery. Meh. My fault for following a low cal version. I won't repeat that mistake. Had to eat Stilton instead....

[Whataboutnodetox]

My son and I made these cookies, I think they must be the least healthy thing in the simply nigella book! They were very easy but I only had crunch peanut butter in so the texture looks to have made them less flat than hers. They are dairy and gluten free which is handy for parties (if you have no guests with nut allergies!) and my two year old could almost make them alone!

[Whataboutnodetox]

Thanks cheeky, maybe I'll treat myself if I manage to declutter a couple of existing books.

[MummyToACheekyMonkey]

I found that to be the same issue Whataboutnodetox. One of my 'go to' cookbooks is A Girl Called Jack by Jack Monroe. Her recipes are simple, quick, easy, healthy, low budget, standard cupboard store ingredients - They're really tasty too..

[Whataboutnodetox]

No I'm afraid not, I'm not very glowy :-(

I've chosen Simply Nigella to start with, mainly because it was the first book I grabbed. I don't have all the ingredients to make any of her dinners this week, but I am going to make some flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies this afternoon with my two year old. I'm quite surprised there are a few dishes I will definitely make, some of her soups look good and filling (whilst also being something my toddler will eat, whilst he is adventurous his tolerance of chilli is not developed yet) and chicken Cosima is on the menu for next week.

I have realised one of the reasons I have stopped cooking so much, cost and cupboard space. Many of the recipes need multiple ingredients that are not needed in anything else. That's fine for "normal" store cupboard ingredients and fresh food but some of the other ingredients I'm struggling to justify purchasing. I need to assess how to deal with that, probably searching for recipes that use the same ingredients every couple of weeks.

[NeverNic]

Does anyone have the Cook Nourish Glow book?

[Whataboutnodetox]

Well done chewbecca! I've just looked through the whole of my Rosemary shrager book and all of the recipes require so many ingredients! I'll take tomorrow morning to look through a few others to see if there is anything I have ingredients in for. I'll definitely try the salmon and mashed veg, I'll update my online shop tomorrow.

[Chewbecca]

Well Jamie's salmon steaks with peas and mashed veg went down much better than yesterday's chicken offering. DS wasn't that keen on the fennel seeds on the salmon and we all agreed we really liked the mash & would like to have it again but it would probably be better with a protein other than salmon - sausages would be good... but not quite a superfood perhaps!

Still, the mash is healthier than usual and will likely become a regular side so all good.

2 new recipes in 2 days?!

[MummyToACheekyMonkey]

This is a great idea, as despite owning quite an impressive collection of cookbooks I do find I tend to head to the intanet for recipes and inspiration without a second thought.. I got "Naturally Sassy" by Saskia Gregson-Williams for my birthday and plan to choose at least one recipe a week from the cookbook...

[Ditsy4]

What a great thread and idea!
Ah I see I'm not alone some people actually have more cook books than me!
I love cookbooks but now hope no one buys me one because I haven't any room on the shelves for them and a couple are shoved down the side. A few I have never used other than to look at. I'm going to join in. At least one a week.

[NeverNic]

Like the sound of this. I also have a subscription to Delicious magazine and I reckon I make 2 recipes a year from that! Will set myself a goal of one a month from the magazine and 2 a week from my collection. Baking wise I do refer to my collection rather than online but almost never for meals.

[Cookingongas]

The flatbreads with broccoli in the breakfast section of superfoods is really nice. It's also the only recipe I can remember of the top of my head so it can't have left too much of an impression on me as I only had it a few months back

[Chewbecca]

Well the Bombay chicken and cauli was okaaaay. Filled a hole and perfectly pleasant but no wow factor and won't make it again. DS grumbled about the brown rice and raw spinach and DH thought it was too dry.

Trying the salmon dish tomorrow, not sure anything can go much wrong with that?!

[Whataboutnodetox]

Please let me know how they go, always nice to hear how someone has got on with a new recipe! Thanks for the inspiration for choice of book.


I do need to find a way to list all the recipes that work so I can refer back to them when I need a recipe for the meal plan. Like most people i fall back on a few handfuls of recipes that I do on a loop.

[Whataboutnodetox]

That's one of my new ones. I'm going to crack it open tomorrow while ds1 is at preschool and find something to make this week!