I have a back log of recipes that I need to get up here on the blog. This is one of them. It’s a fruity mango chicken dish that always goes down well in our house and uses up stuff that most of us have in the cupboard or fridge. READ MORE
Hello! I haven’t got long as I’m about to get a flight (to LA – I know, that sounds very jet set, but really it isn’t – more to be revealed soon) so I’m writing this in a frenzy of packing and trying to find travel adaptors and ear plugs and all that jazz. This recipe should pop up some time next week when I will likely be mid flight back. It’s the gravity defying cake I made on This Morning. You can watch the vid here if you like. It’s been pretty popular so far with a fair few folks already having made one the very afternoon of the day it was on TV. Now that’s quick. READ MORE
It was Lawrence’s first birthday today. My grandmother had two children in her early twenties and two in her thirties. She swore her forties were her favourite decade; I’m not sure what that says about early years child rearing back in the 40s/50s! Here are my observations and learnings from raising a baby from 0 to 1 in my mid thirties, the third time round:
It’s half term, by today (it being Wednesday) the kids are probably starting to itch for something parent-inspired to do. I say put that Prittstick away! Save that jigsaw for tomorrow and instead get them making their own (and your) dinner. These three recipes provide lots of short term concentration span activities. There’s breaking an egg, there’s crumbling feta cheese, there’s measuring out herbs, there’s scrunching and shaping koftas. No time to get bored, oh no.
Then in the 20 minutes they take to cook there’s shredding (with supervision) vegetables, mixing up coleslaw and blitzing hummus. If your kids are anything like mine they love the opportunity to press the buttons of grown up kitchen equipment. Obviously, watch them like hawks. I know I don’t need to say that but I feel duty bound, in a Mum like fashion.
You can watch the recipe being made on ITV’s This Morning by clicking here.
These crunchy meatballs are seriously moreish. Delicious served with homemade tomato sauce for dipping the meatballs in. Now if you don’t have a picky eater then huge bow to you. I have been blessed with one picky eater and two little chaps who will try pretty much anything. As I am not a woman who wants to cook more than one dinner, but I do want Mr Picky to eat well, this hidden vegetable tomato sauce has become a firm favourite. You can watch the recipe being made on ITV’s This Morning by clicking here.
Summer is coming so it’s time for a lemon and coconut cake. If coconut isn’t your thing then make a simple buttercream filling instead. I’ve kept the coconut away from the main cake as I know some folks aren’t keen on it. I however am a coconut fiend.
This recipe first appeared on ITV’s This Morning. You can find a video of the recipe being made here as well as the full recipe.
I feel I could be in danger of teaching grandmother to suck eggs. But I’m ploughing on through anyway. It’s pancake day, or rather Shrove Tuesday. The day to use up all the fat and eggs in the house before the first day of Lent.
Now I am pretty sure most of you have a pancake recipe already. Perhaps some of you are expert flippers. If you’re not in possession of the perfect recipe or the right wrist action then read on. This recipe works for me every time. You do need a non stick frying pan though. And nerves of steel. Expert flipping is all about nerves of steel.
This recipe plus my chocolate pancakes recipe and my spinach & ricotta filling recipe are all here too as well as a video of me flipping pancakes with the boys.
Lots of great recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
Last year: Chocolate and banana flower shaped cupcakes, Subtle coconut rolls, Easy chocolate cupcakes and Chocolate orange tea buns. Oh and I almost forgot my Almond and fig granola.
Two years ago: Love cupcakes and White chocolate, lemon and macadamia cake and Roasted celeriac, carrot and parsnip soup and My lightest Yorkshire puddings.
Three years ago: Bake me not chocolate cake and Jelly and ice-cream meringue roulade and Good flapjack and Banana, butterscotch and fig traybake.
Four years ago: Treasure hunt ice-cream and Rhubarb and ginger chutney and Carrot cake.
Pancakes
Makes about 7 large pancakes 22cm in diameter
Ingredients:
(This recipe first featured on ITV’s This Morning).
I turned 35 on Saturday. My husband and I celebrated by watching a sci fi movie at the cinema and getting a bit tipsy on house red wine (it’s THAT kind of cinema, an arty subtitled films one serving wine in plastic glasses rather than vats of sugary cola) then going for Italian food at our favourite restaurant where the owner kisses your face and comments on how skinny you’re looking even when you’re not. Women love him not surprisingly. We were home by 11pm, which for us is quite a crazy one.
Now something happened on Saturday night. Call it January madness, call it the red wine talking, but well, we talked about what would happen if we had another baby. Now hold on. I know, I know! Lawrence is only 7 months old and frankly we are on our knees with sleep deprivation (not from him mind, that prize goes to poorly Son Number 2) so a sicky tired to your bones pregnancy and indeed a newborn are really not advised. Plus we have no room for another baby. Poor Lawrence already sleeps in the same room as all my things to sell on eBay and the roof box. Not for him a nursery decorated with teddy bears and a wooden train spelling his name, oh no.
Luckily the red wine that resulted in a silly conversation about 4th babies was also responsible for us falling asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow.
Onto the recipe. This is perfect end of January fodder. It’s easy to make, the majority of the work happens in the oven without any need for prodding or poking AND it tastes perfectly moreish in a wonderful wintery way. Before you ask, yes you can use beef mince if lamb offends you. If you do this, I would advise leaving out the mint and subbing the peas for some sliced par boiled carrots or some quartered mushrooms. I would also consider sprinkling the potatoes with cheese if you go down the beef route. The cheese feels a bit much with the lamb in my humble opinion, but it’s your pie and you should do what you like).
I made this recipe on This Morning. To see a video of it click here.
Lots of recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
Last January: Lemon & blueberry loaf, my Bake Off Cherry Bakewell inspired cupcakes, plus Sesame bread sticks
Two years ago: Love cupcakes, White chocolate, lemon and macadamia cake and a perfect wintery Roasted celeriac, carrot and parsnip soup.
Three years ago: Bake me not chocolate cake, Jelly and ice-cream meringue roulade, Good flapjack and Banana, butterscotch and fig traybake.
Four years ago: Treasure hunt ice-cream, Rhubarb and ginger chutney and Carrot cake.
Lamb, pea and mint pie with an easy sliced potato topping
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients:
1) Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 7. Fill and boil the kettle.
2) Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat for a minute. Add the onions and the salt, soften for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3) Toss the minced lamb in the flour, coating evenly. Add to the pan of onions and brown for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4) Place the stock cube, mint, thyme, black pepper and nutmeg into a jug and add 400mls boiling water. Stir and pour into the frying pan. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken a little.
5) Place the peas into a casserole dish. In a bowl, toss the sliced potatoes in a little salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
6) Pour the lamb filling into the casserole dish and stir. Layer the top with the sliced potato. Cover with a lid/foil and bake in the oven for about 50 minutes, removing the lid/foil for the last 20 minutes.
NB: Freeze after stage 5, defrost in the fridge and bake as per instructions.
I am hurtling towards the grand old age of 35. I know many reading this will scoff that really, that’s so young. But I’m worried. Less about the actual say it out loud age and more about my increasingly regular curmudgeon’s behaviour. I can only think my advancing years are to blame. Just a few examples of my new found angry lady status:
It’s hard not to notice that my anger is generally related to modes of transport. Maybe I should just stay in the house and be hermit like? I’d likely be a chirpy little hermit. Anyway, on to the recipe. These meatballs are easy, they’re low carb, they’re delightfully crunchy and they contain chorizo which makes them mighty moreish. My sons love them. I love them. Beware the pinkish colour of the inside of the balls post baking – that’s just the chorizo. They’re not raw I promise. Enjoy.
Lots of recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
Last January: Lemon & blueberry loaf, my Bake Off cherry Bakewell inspired cupcakes, plus Sesame bread sticks
Two years ago: Love cupcakes, White chocolate, lemon and macadamia cake and a perfect wintery Roasted celeriac, carrot and parsnip soup.
Three years ago: Bake me not chocolate cake, Jelly and ice-cream meringue roulade, Good flapjack and Banana, butterscotch and fig traybake.
Four years ago: Treasure hunt ice-cream, Rhubarb and ginger chutney and Carrot cake.
Crunchy pork & coriander meatballs
Makes 15, though depends on size of balls
Ingredients:
In a food processor whizz up the bread and set aside two thirds for later. Add the black pepper, chorizo, coriander, minced pork and ketchup and pulse until combined then roll into meatballs about the size of golf balls. Then dip in beaten egg and roll in the fresh breadcrumbs made earlier.
Oven bake at 180c/gas mark 4 for about 25 mins until sizzling. My boys ate theirs with pasta but they are a delicious little morsel to eat alone.
Holly Bell 