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...)

@katy1213 Not me with the baking. I'll eat a slice of something if offered, but I haven't got much of a sweet tooth.

I love sweetbreads as well, but not been able to buy them for many years. There's a newish butcher not too far away, I might try there. But although DH says he'll eat anything, he lies so probably wouldn't even try them. I had brains in Rome, & he wouldn't try a taste.

He did actually try tripe when we were in Florence recently, & commented that it only tasted of the sauce it was in. Ermmm ... like pasta, rice, etc

My local butcher used to have them; it was a good idea to order in advance - and I used to make a mushroom/sweetbread stuffing for veal which was amazing. I think I'd have to go to Borough Market these days.
I tend not to offer too much information - if they taste it blind and they like it, then they like it!

@GlumyGloomer I checked with DH, & he says that the Airfryer is quite easy to clean - just soak in hot water with wash-up liquid for a little while, then use a green scratchy on it.
We have a simple rule: when I cook, he clears up, when he cooks (1-2 meals per month) he clears up.

I've never understood people moaning about slow-cooker food being watery & tasteless. It's the fault of the cook, not the cooker.

I'm glad you started this group.

It took longer than expected in the slow cooker, so wasn't ready in time. We had emergency macaroni cheese instead. But, it's done now and seems ok with nice juices... so I guess I need to work out if we have with roasties and gravy tomorrow, or if I use it to make something else!

Georgyporkie I have to admit my first few efforts with the slow cooker were a bit watery and tasteless, I think due to some expectation that the slow cooker was magic and therefore I didn't need to put any effort in (I know, but dd1 was waking hourly at the time so brain was well and truly disengaged). I now love the things I make in my slow cooker, especially tomato based things which caramelize beautifully.

Imicola that's annoying, but at least you have a meal ready for tomorrow.

The chicken was good, moist and made a good gravy, we had it with roast tatties and peas. Toddler wasn't so keen! I think she prefers things that are all cooked up together.

I also used to not do very well with my slow cooker, mainly because all advice I ever read in cooking magazines was to make sure everything is covered in liquid! I have since learnt this is folly and go for less liquid.

Today I made this satay chicken rice salad with the chicken left overs. www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/warm-satay-chicken-and-rice-salad/

I was missing the coriander, but it was a great recipe to use up all the random ends of jars I had! Very tasty. DH hates peanut butter, and also thinks he hates satay, but there were no complaints.

Oh, looks good. I love satay, although the family aren't sold on it.

I'm using yo left over bits from the freezer at the moment, which is why I haven't had anything to report. I did have another go at barley flatbread, this time with the oven turned up to max. Still nothing like the picture, so I think I'll give up on that recipe. I need to get some loaf tins so that I can give archipelago bread a go. Apparently there is no kneading, so it should be a bit less faff to make.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cheeky-chicken-satay Really yummy and mostly store cupboard ingredients, good for kids.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/coconut-squash-dhansak/amp Really yummy vegetarian curry

I've been using here's-one-I-prepared-earlier from the freezer the last few days.
I had a really nice chicken, peanut butter & spinach dish (I used PBfit powder), but can't find the recipe now to recreate it.
An all-time favourite is a Rick Stein dish - Canalons Barcelonesa. I had it last night - still got another 2 portions to go. It makes a change to have a cannelloni dish that's not tomato based, & needless to say I adapted the recipe. Also used all the milk to make the bechamel sauce, so it was black coffee for breakfast.
I had a total disaster this week ! DH bought some Sainsbo Thai-style fishcakes, so thought I'd make a Thai veg side dish.
Brussels sprouts in a Thai sauce were awful - & he'd bought the tiny BS so prep time was loooong. The Sainsbo f'cakes were tasteless, so not a good meal

Made this with my sad looking aubergines tonight. Quite nice, not outstanding. Somehow it needs something else but im not sure what!
www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/smoked_aubergines_with_49362/amp

Hi @Em2122, the satay looks good, nice to see a kid friendly dish (I mostly just dum down normal recipes).

Snap Georgy we've been ploughing through the freezer stocks. Tomorrow we have leftover tandoori chicken, in which I discovered that alpro greek style yoghurt does not make a good marinade. Not sure if I can improve it a bit this time around by scraping off the old stuff and putting on a fresh marinade. Will see how things go.

Imicola interesting recipe. Did you do them in the oven or over a flame? I'd want to do the latter but not sure I would have the nerve.

@GlumyGloomer just in the oven! It's so easy that way.

Pumpkin pie, alla tinned puree. Yes I know the party's a mess, I never trim the crust because the slightly singed corners are my favourite bits

Pastry, obviously, not party

@Imicola Smoked paprika?.

I made tom kerridges turkey sausages after watching his get fit program. Sainsburys subbed turkey breast for the minced thigh but I mixed the mince with half a softened onion, half tea spoon sage, white pepper and salt and cooked them. They taste quite like proper sausages. It doesn’t need the onion, I think onion powder would do & maybe some bread crumbs.

Dh won’t touch them because he likes those vile pink Richmond sausages that are 60% rusk 🤮

@GlumyGloomer looks good!
@Fluffycloudland77 interesting. I quite often get Turkey mince, so I might look that recipe up.

Here we made a huge batch of bolognese, but it's a bit watery. Might use it for lasagne?

or any pasta bake. Chuck some red lentils in. Dh never notices when I do that.

Yesterday I made Nadiya's roast chicken with lemon cous cous. Most of her recipes I've liked but not this one. It was my first time using preserved lemons, and I found them a bit like I'd imagine car battery acid. I've still got half a jar of the things. Any suggestions on good uses for preserved lemons?

@GlumyGloomer I don't know what instructions NH gives, but I wash the lemon, then remove flesh & only use the peel. I usually wrap & freeze them individually, they don't last long in the fridge.

I use them in lamb & chicken tagines, & sometimes in home-made stuffing.

I did what I thought was a very tasty stuffing with crystallised ginger as well in a pork fillet, & a young guest asked why Auntie G had put cake in the meat.

This might be useful :-

www.maggiebeer.com.au/recipes/preserved-lemon-olive-fresh-herb-cous-cous-salad

@GlumyGloomer oh no, that is a shame! I have a recipe for a tagine with preserved lemons and olives somewhere which I have used a few times... will see if I can find it! They are very strong, but also some brands are less good, so it could be that.

Here is the recipe I have used before which was always tasty with preserved lemons in.

I knew you guys wouldn't disappoint
I confess I did not rinse the lemons, just cut them in half and chucked them in. Freezing them seems like a good plan.
The tagine looks good, I think I'll plan that in for the week after next.