Recipe review club

[GlumyGloomer]

I love trying out new recipes, and thought it would be fun to have a thread where we try stuff out and report back. Source must be cited and link provided if online. Photos encouraged.

Tonight I'll be making asian aubergine wedges, from Nadiya Hussain's Time to Eat book.
I like the taste of aubergine but have grave doubts about the texture. Still, I'm being brave and giving this a go.
Worth noting that I leave the chilli out of everything so that the dd's can eat it (I add at the table).

Anyone fancy joining me? (Waits for tumbleweed...)

Not sure what to make tonight, I have mince and a fully stocked fridge/ larder if anyone has some inspiration?

We had a huge overreaction to the inclusion of sour cream in last night's bean goulash leftovers. Toddler was hysterical, spat it out, then wouldn't go near her food again, and needed her bib with smears of sour cream removed immediately. I was trying to hide the fact that i was laughing! I thought she'd love it, but apparently not.

Well if you have any edam (or similar) and fancy something a bit different Keshi Yena is lovely. I've not used this exact recipe, or have ever made it myself, but my Dad has a great recipe I must ask him for at some point.
www.atastefortravel.ca/7820-easy-keshi-yena-recipe-aruba/

Tbh though if I had some mince and no plan we'd probably end up with bolognese or curry.

@GlumyGloomer interesting. I don't have edam, but I think I have most of the other ingredients. Im tempted, might give it a go. I have left over beans for the toddler as it may not be up her street.

Well I attempted to make the chicken and mushroom cobbler from page 3, but after making the first part with dd2 in one arm and screaming at me when I dared to put her down and discovering I don't have enough butter for the topping anyway I'm waving the white flag and will be serving what I've got so far with oven chips. Disappointing but that's life.

@Itsallpointless I agree,I love it.

I found a recipe that incorporates all 3 ingredients, but it will wait until tomorrow.

DH wants to go to the "Pie Night" at our local tonight. Bang goes my resolve to lose the holiday weight gain!

That Keshi Yena recipe looks interesting.
An old friend cooked something that seems very similar, but our kids were very young at the time & she omitted the chillies.

Difficult to believe that Edam was once so popular in the world.

The keshi yena was good! Unusual, nice to have something different. I love the idea of doing it properly all stuffed in cheese, maybe next time!

Glad you liked it. I think my Dad got his recipe from a colleague ages ago, I'll have to ask if he still has it. It's awesome in the cheese. I'd never pick edam normally but for this it's perfect.

Just been reading the 'recommendations which were crap' thread and slow cookers got a few votes. Mine is on right now, reheating some chilli (love a no cook night ), but it did take a bit of perseverance to get the most out of it. I love kitchen gadgets, but haven't had the money/space before now. (I currently have space but no money, lol). I'm most tempted by a bread maker. Anyone have one? Any other things I should have/not have on my wish list?

Couldn't find that thread - was it recent?

I had a breadmaker, but it went to a charity shop recently as I hadn't used it for years. Ditto a George Foreman grill.

I think you need to eat quite a lot of bread for it to be worthwhile, and although it's delicious it goes stale very quickly.

I agree about a s.c. I had a large one, but gave it away when I moved to my present home as it's got a small kitchen. However, I missed it so bought a smaller one that I use regularly.

Random thoughts on other major items :-

Halogen oven - useful & cost-effective, but a large footprint & mine died a week after the guarantee ran out.

Soupmaker - first died after a few weeks, second lasted nearly a year. Both refunded by Amazon, gone back to using saucepans.

Air Fryer - healthy-ish chips. I could use mine more than I do. Also a large footprint.

I bought a sous-vide machine, but sent it back as it was controlled via an app - I just want to press buttons & turn knobs in the kitchen.

Pressure cooker - love it. Great for pulses etc, & meat like oxtail.

We keep our halogen in the oven. I agree it’s got a big foot print.

Bread I slice and freeze or it goes mouldy.

Today I made Armenian spice cake and it was really really good, although perhaps a bit too sweet. Unusual recipe, making crumbs with flour, sugar and butter then putting half that mix in the base of the tin, then topping with soaked dates and the fairly runny batter. The base ends up like toffee shortbread almost. Wowsers.
www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/food/2020/sep/27/eastern-inspired-brunch-recipes-towpath-cafe-eggs-bhurji-aubergine-kasundi-armenian-spice-cake-lamb-meatballs-harissa

@GlumyGloomer we have a bread machine and go through phases of using it a lot, then not using for a while. Makes good bread, and it is so much easier and faster than doing it by hand. I use my slow cooker a lot more though, and my food processor. We also have a foreman grill, which we only use for toasties... but working from home it gets used most days for lunch! Pasta machine I also have and rarely use... probably been about 5 years since it was out.

Pastas so cheap I can see why you’d just buy it.

Waitrose subbed me an egg based tagliatelle during lockdown that was £3.50 😲 and honestly I can’t tell the difference between it and dried.

@Georgyporky it's here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4059157-Things-MN-have-recommended-on-threads-that-you-bought-but-turned-out-to-be-crap

Imicola that cake sounds interesting, I've never made one like that.

Thanks for all the gadget feedback. I do eat a lot of bread, but I didn't think about it going mouldy faster than shop bought. Air fryer was another one I've considered, but how is it to clean?
I have a foreman grill, bought because it was cheap and we didn't have a working oven for about 6 weeks after we moved. I've used it for grilling fish, quesadillas, french toast (better fried) and of course sandwiches. I don't see myself keeping it forever but I'm not in a hurry to get rid either.

@GlumyGloomer I have a bread machine but use it only for making brioche dough and bake it in the oven.
I make my own sourdough bread butnobody else in the house wants it so only me eating it.
Love the slowcooker but use it only for a joint of meat or curry.
Stews and casseroles are much better in cast iron dish in the oven simmering slowly (could somebody explain why please?).

I wanted to apologize for my last post as it was too harsh, sorry for being mardy cow.

Went to the farmshop today as ran out of veg and got hold of big cabbage.
Cabbage parcels it is then tomorrow.

Recipe here
www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/beef-stuffed-cabbage-rolls/

Pics to follow

Enjoy the test of the weekend :)

Rest not test

@Imicola, that cake looks... interesting, will try it with a bit less sugar ( or might swap some for muscovado)

My parents hate their air frier and say everything ends up tasteless. My in laws, however, love theirs!

Into the oven for a couple of hours now 🙂

Im trying a whole chicken in the slow cooker... hope it works ok, my slow cooker is not quite big enough to fit it!

They look nice @FrenchBoule what do you serve it with?

@Imicola either chunk of bread and butter or mashed potatoes.

It’s one of well-known traditional Polish meals to make 🙂

They are tasty 🙂

@Imicola I struggle to put a chicken into slow cooker as I have a small one.
I used to have a big one but itbroke ( bought in on fb for peanuts).
I’d still roast in in the oven for a while as it gives it a flavour

FrenchBoule cabbage is not one of my favourites but those look really good.
Imicola I've done chicken crowns in the slow cooker (I have a small one), during the Great Oven Shortage of '19, and it did work well. I reverted to the oven though as prefer big chickens with lots of left overs.

I made this for lunch today
www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/mediterranean/greek/vegetarian-moussaka-with-ricotta-topping
It was very good, but took all morning, and when I'd got it into the oven I realised I'd forgotten the clock change and it would be ready an hour early it survived being kept warm very well.
I used white wine as was out of red.

@georgyporky That cake looks good. I must buy some dates and try it.
I love sweetbreads; bit fiddly to prepare but I haven't had them in ages. I was thinking about them recently as I found a mince pie recipe that sounds delicious.