Cooking club, Mexican may and a bit of Nigel slater

[whatareyoueatingNOW]

Hi all,

Another month gone, so I've set up a new thread

For anyone new (and the more the merrier) the idea is that each month we choose a cuisine to focus on and a cookery writer/ author as well. This keeps the options quite broad so that more can join on and share what they're cooking and any recommendations (though if your anything like me this will cost you in buying cookbooks that others have raved about)

This month the chosen cuisine to cook is Mexican- so any Mexican cookbooks/ websites/ recipes that you can make, add a review / recommendation on here - Thomasina Myers is always a good shout for Mexican so I'll be using her books largely.

Our chosen food writer is Nigel slater - covering any of his books and or his recipes online.

So any recipes that you use regularly or you'd recommend, and anything new that you try , share it here

Thinking the NS Myrtl.

How do we do it....is it a recipe a week, month?
My tummy is rumbling looking over the meals made so far😋

Myrtle it looks great!

Wheel- nothing so organised as a recipe a week/ month tbh- it's just try to do something new if and when you can through the month and share it here. And recommend anything you've tried before and loved.

I'm not cooking from either this weekend I don't think- as I've got a Eurovision party and am making a cheesy 70s style spread of national foods with tiny cocktail stick flags stuck in

What that sounds ace. I love Eurovision. We are having people over and I’m doing my favourite mango lamb (essentially a lamb shoulder with mango chutney slow cooked all day -it’s amazing amazing) am v sad I can’t drink as very very pregnant so shall just have to hope the euro campness carries me through the night!

I'm not cooking today either - am over in Liverpool with family. Will pick up again next week but enjoy your Eurovision parties!

Can I join? I have all of Nigel
Slater's books and would agree that Real Cooking is a good intro to someone new to his recipes. I also have a soft spot for his original Real Fast Food, which is one of the first cookery books I bought way back in the mid 90s when I was really getting into cooking. It's stood the test of time. Probably my most used Nigel recipes are those chocolate brownies (the best brownie recipe ever), the banana and chocolate loaf and pear and chocolate crumble. His Flash fried Moroccan Chicken from the 30 Minute cook has also been a favourite for many years. I actually don't think I've ever had a fail with any of his recipes and you can't say that about many food writers.

cousin absolutely! The Moroccan chicken sounds great shall go and google that now

As it was a bit chilly last night we had Nigel's Beef, beer and onion stew. Super easy and very delicious, will make it again in the autumn and add some mushrooms into the mix too. I used a bottle of birra moretti (lager) as it was on offer rather than his suggestion.

Tonight it's back to Mexico with Carnitas under pressure, cooked in the InstantPot served with TM Green rice, using juice from the pork instead of chicken stock as it's lovely and citrusy, corn on the cob, fet, avocado and pomegranate. The pork is a big hit every time we have it, again very easy if you have a pressure cooker.

Dh and I are having left over pork joint from last night but I made NS' chicken (thighs or drumsticks) in orange and honey for DD tonight. Old favourite and dead easy to do - roast for 45 mins or so until the chicken is gloriously sticky. Recommended for summery mid week family dinners definitely!
thepetitkitchen.wordpress.com/2014/02/07/honey-lemon-roast-chicken-drumsticks-nigel-slater-34/
(the title here says lemon rather than orange but definitely is orange!)

Have made Thomasina's chipotles in adobo tonight. Smells amazing, sweet, smokey and with a kick. Very easy to make except for when you have to go back out for tomato purée and will be using tonight in a torta (Mexican sandwich) and tomorrow in tortilla soup

@Pantah360 I meant to say the carnitas looked amazing. I've made them once (not in pressure cooker) and they were stunning. Did you go down the lard route? I did (after spending ages in the supermarket trying to find some!) I read somewhere that lard is actually "better" for you than butter... anyway, the lard did its job!

@Pantah630 not 360 - sorry!

Myrtle no lard, just olive oil in this one and the pork fat obviously Carnitas under pressuree* I'm sure it's adaptable to do without pressure cooker.

I made the chipotles en adobo at the weekend, lovely in with some mayo.

Torta done! Was delicious - very rich. Ciabatta buns loaded with refried beans, avocado, red onion, lettuce, chilli-tomatoes, chorizo and chipotle mayo (I forgot the lettuce until after photo!!) very much enjoyed by DH and thinking of ways you could work into a sociable night, that isn't a "proper dinner"

That looks delicious

Thai tonight upon request of my dinner guest but tiding myself over with some Pico de Gallo And crackers as a snack - recipe here mexicanfoodmemories.co.uk/tag/pico-de-gallo/
Nigel’s Moroccan chicken tomorrow and more brownies Saturday for a royal wedding party

Ooo everything looks amazing. I may combine the carnitas and Pico de Gallo this weekend! I'm going away tomorrow so have been eating what's here rather than following any recipes, but as we're self catering I'm planning lots of cooking over the weekend

I know it's early in the month to be discussing next month, but with mind for library reservations, perhaps we should decide on June's so that people can prep? For the cuisine I think it's -finally warm enough for Cypriot/Greek? And choosing a good magazine as the "author" has been touted a few times? As has the idea of "vintage cookbook" cooking which I think would be very fun. Any ideas/ thoughts?

I'm up for Greek/Cypriot - don't cook much from that region (apart from gigantes plaki and ubiquitous greek salad) so that would be great for me to learn some new recipes...

Re vintage cookbook -how vintage are we going?! Mrs Beaton or Elizabeth David

Oh I’d love a recipe for gigantes plaki! I’ve never made it but love it

KD am not sure I keep to one recipe but I'll have a look at which I use!

Tonight's tortilla soup from TM's Mexican Food Made Simple. Was really v good, we added a bit more chipotle purée than recipe said but I think it's always a bit of roulette as to strength of chillies so one batch may need a tablespoon another batch may need two. Definitely one to make again, loved the fried tortilla strips!

Ooo myrtle that looks great- I've made it before, though hardly remember- I've written in the margin of the book that the toppings make it

Bit of an intruder here - sorry I don't follow your threads normally, but ds is getting into Mexican food. What lovely pix and tips. Thanks.

Come join us @niska - the more the merrier!

thanks what I think the chipotles en adobo are the secret code plus the toppings! Am really pleased that I've tried two new recipes from TM Mexican Food Made Simple - I was stuck on my trusted favourites so thank you all for making me think again!

We had Nigel's chicken, cashew and broccoli stir fry from eat - I've made it many times before , it's fast easy and the dc love it. Not something you'd male for a dinner party, but satisfying (and easy to make in a self catering apartment)

I then made scallop tacos for lunch- no specific recipe but certainly influences by Mexican may

More from Nigel's eat made last night/today - this is my go to book for self catering holidays.

Asparagus cannelloni, which I can't recommend enough! Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. He says to boil the pasta sheets first- I do don't as fresh lasagne sheets don't need it imo and I only roasted for 15 minutes, which is plenty of time to cook the asparagus and pasta . Start to finish in 20 minutes

We also made chicken wrapped in Parma ham, taleggio and sage. The sage and tallegio made this morning ch more special than my usual wrapped chicken. Another case of a good idea more than a recipe to follow - which is what Nigel is best at

BBQ for us today - but worked in a flavour of Mexico (although probably more tex-mex) with these ribs - coated and cooked in a blackberry and chipotle sauce