I'm a twenty year old English university student and I like to cook.
My mum used to be a chef and taught me how to cook when I was little, I'm a vegetarien so unfortunately I have no idea how you go about cooking anything more advanced than bacon but I'm pretty good at the vegi stuff and it shouldn't be too hard to take out any of the vegitarien ingredients and use meat instead providing you know or can look up how to actually cook the meat.
I rarely use measurements unless the recipe is something that actually calls for it.

23rd February 2012

Post with 1 note

Another Tart!

Another bad quality phone pic. One day I’ll find my camera before I start cooking so i don’t have to run around the house whilst the food gets cold or just take a picture on my phone.

Ingredients;

  • One sheet of shop bought puff pastry
  • Green pesto
  • 50g (half a 100g bag) baby leaf spinach
  • Two baby courgettes (Or half/quater of a big one)
  • Three tomatoes
  • One block of mozzarella cheese or the ready grated stuff.
  • As many olives as you can fit (optional)
  • Pine nuts (also optional)

Recipe;

  1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C for fan assisted ovens/Gas 7
  2. Place a sheet of baking parchment onto a tray and grease with a little butter or oil.
  3. Roll the pastry out onto the tray.
  4. Wilt the spinach by pouring hot water over it and leaving it for a couple of seconds then drain.
  5. Thinly slice the courgettes and tomatoes. I sliced the courgettes length-ways and the tomatoes so they were round flat slices.
  6. Slice the block of mozzarella if you’re using it fresh.
  7. Spread pesto on the pastry leaving roughly an inch around the edges.
  8. Layer the courgette on.
  9. Layer the tomatoes on top.
  10. Layer the spinach on top of that.
  11. Either layer on the mozzarella or sprinkle it depending which you’re using.
  12. Top with olives and pine nuts.
  13. Bake for 10-15 minutes, the pastry crust should be golden and the mozzarella should be starting to brown, if your crust is golden and the mozzarella isn’t melted properly yet leave it in but keep watch and by keep watch I mean my oven is glass fronted and I sat in front of it for about 80 seconds and then it was done.
  14. Serve!

Tagged: recipetartspinachtomatopine nutsmozzarellaolivespesto

20th February 2012

Post with 3 notes

Spinach, Pesto, Courgette and Parmesan Puff Tart

Shitty phone pic, also do not make my mistake and stop keeping an eye on it or it will end up brown rather than golden in seconds, no exaggeration. It was my first time making this though and it tasted great and my fiance enjoyed it even if it wasn’t the prettiest thing ever which was the point!

Ingredients;

  • One sheet of shop bought puff pastry
  • One 100g bag of baby leaf spinach
  • Green pesto
  • Two baby courgettes (Or half/quater of a big one)
  • Pine nuts
  • Parmesan

Recipe;

  1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C for fan assisted ovens/Gas 7
  2. Place a sheet of baking parchment onto a tray and grease with a little butter or oil.
  3. Roll the pastry out onto the tray.
  4. Wilt the spinach by pouring hot water over it and leaving it for a couple of seconds then drain.
  5. Thinly slice the courgettes.
  6. Spread pesto on the pastry leaving roughly an inch around the edges.
  7. Layer the courgette on top.
  8. Layer the spinach on top of that.
  9. Sprinkle with Parmesan and pine nuts.
  10. Bake for 12-15 minutes, keep an eye on it after ten minutes though because I left mine for 13 minutes and it overcooked ever so slightly.
  11. Serve! We had ours with salad.

Tagged: foodrecipespinachpestocourgettetart

20th February 2012

Question with 3 notes

Anonymous asked: when are you going to put some of your sushi recipes here? And by next week you will be 22!!!!! love you....XXXXX ha mum

When I have chance to make it again probably!

And I know, it’s scary! :(

Love you too xxx

(ladies and gents my mum has figured out how to ask stuff on tumblr, I have the best mum)

23rd January 2012

Post with 8 notes

My Fiances favorite salad

For once I have a photo!

This is the way we like it and the optional extras are things I sometimes include or things we put in after serving on a “have it if you want it” basis. I like my lettuce to be finely shredded, you may think that salad is better on a bed of lettuce, it’s all down to the individual but me, my fiance and my mum all really enjoyed it like this. It’s really just basic and salad is always so open to improvisation which is what makes it one of my favourite things!

Basic Ingredients;

  • One punnet of cherry tomatoes (they’re the little ones and I don’t know if they have the same name in the USA D: do they, anyone?)
  • Two whole avocados
  • Half a cucumber
  • One yellow pepper
  • Half an iceberg lettuce
  • Mozzarella

Optional extras;

  • Black and green olives
  • Spring onion or red onion
  • Pinenuts
  • Fresh spinach
  • Quorn pieces
  • Dressing; Would be good with a creamy dressing but we ate this with a lemon, balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing and cracked black pepper.

Method;

  1. Wash everything. I cannot stress this enough, unless your salad is prewashed it will need a good rinsing. Except the avocado, you’re not going to be eating the peel anyway.
  2. Peel and de-stone the avocado and cut into cubes.
  3. Shred the lettuce.
  4. Half the cherry tomatoes.
  5. Chop the cucumber into slices and then quarter the slices.
  6. Chop the pepper into strips and then half.
  7. Remove the stems from the basil and roughly shred.
  8. Add it all into a bowl and mix.
  9. Serve with (or without) any of the extras you desire.

Tagged: saladrecipehealthy

22nd January 2012

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Alfredo Sauce with Tomatoes

This is generally used as a sauce for spaghetti or pasta.

Ingredients;

  • a splash of olive oil
  • approximately 50g butter
  • approximately 150ml cream
  • one small onion chopped very finely
  • one clove of crushed garlic
  • 2 chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cup (I literally used a regular sized coffee mug) of cheese. Parmesan for authenticity but cheddar tastes good too.
  • approximately 50g soft cheese

Method;

  1. Heat the oil and add onion and garlic, gently brown on a low heat.
  2. Once the garlic and onions are a light golden colour add butter and melt.
  3. When the butter is all melted add the tomatoes and cook them until they’re soft.
  4. Add both the cream and soft cheese and stir until melted keeping the heat low so it doesn’t cook too fast.
  5. When the sauce is heated up add the cheese and stir until melted.
  6. Serve with pasta. I tend to include something like quorn fillets or scallops or a type of vegetable.

Tagged: alfredo saucerecipefood

22nd January 2012

Question with 1 note

beccadactyl asked: You've spelt vegetarian wrong in the sidebar info bit :p I thought you might want to know. Also. Nice cookery blog!!!

Oh whoops! That was before I moved to chrome where I have spellcheck xD

Thank you though!

21st November 2011

Post with 3 notes

Vegetarian (but it doesn’t have to be) meatball and black eyed pea casserole

Another recipe in which you could technically use meat. You can buy ready made meatballs from most supermarkets over here or you can make your own from a recipe such as this. I used Asda Vegetarian Meatballs in mine but whatever is handy should work. My mum makes brilliant soy meatballs and if I can convince her to send me the recipe I’ll share that one later.

If you have a bigger dish than mine then you could always double the quantities but I was working with a small casserole dish (for those not in the know that is one of these but any oven proof dish with a lid will do)

Ingredients;

  • 8 meatballs
  • 1 large baking potato (or two medium sized potatos)
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 onion (or half a very large onion)
  • 1 can of black-eyed peas (the food not the band)
  • 1/2 a can of chopped tomatos
  • 250ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method;

  1. Heat the oven to about 180C/350F/Gas 4. Pour the oil into the casserole dish and stick it in the over for about five minutes.
  2. Whilst the oil is heating up chop your onion, you could do it finely but I went for roughly chopped and still quite chunky.
  3. Take the oil out of the oven and add the onions and meatballs to it, make sure the meatballs are covered in oil and put the dish back into the oven for ten minutes (or however long it says they need to cook for, it should say on the packet/recipe)
  4. Peel and chop your carrots and potato/s into chunks.
  5. Once the meatballs are nicely browned and the onions are golden remove them from the oven and add the potatos, carrots, black-eyed peas, chopped tomatos and vegetable stock.
  6. Return to the oven for about an hour. You’ll know it’s cooked when the carrots and potatos are tender (you can test this by poking one*)
  7. Serve. I made this with rice and a side dish of tomato baked vegetables but it would be just as good on it’s own or with crusty bread (which I will put up the recipe for another day but it’s basically whatever vegetables you fancy in a dish with the rest of the can of chopped tomatos and some vegetable stock and you stick it in the oven with the casserole)


*Not all of them. One of my friends honestly thought you had to test every single piece of veg when I told her this. You don’t.

Honestly this dish is ridiculously simple to make and you can use pretty much any root vegetable so swede, turnip, parsnip should all work nicely (only I don’t like to eat any of those so I can’t guarantee it)

21st April 2011

Post with 2 notes

Vegetarian Lasagna

You could technically use real mince in this but I can’t tell you how to cook it so you’d need to Google.

Ingredients;

  • 1 bag of Quorn Mince (You could use meat mince or any supermarket brand vegi mince)
  • 1 can of chopped tomatoes
  • Oregano (fresh or dried)
  • Basil (fresh or dried)
  • Squirt of tomato puree
  • Handful of peas
  • 2 fresh tomatos
  • Onions
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Any other vegetables you actually like xD
  • Cooking oil
  • Sheets of lasagna pasta
  • A thing of http://thecookerygeek.tumblr.com/post/3166301881/basic-cheese-sauce

Method;

  1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200c.
  2. Chop garlic and onions.
  3. Soften the onions and garlic in a pan with hot oil and then add the mince, can of tomatos, puree, peas, fresh tomatos and vegetables.
  4. Simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Add in the basil and oregano.
  6. Cook a batch of the basic cheese sauce.
  7. Put a layer on mince into a large oven dish. Layers sheets of pasta on top. Repeat until the mince has all been used.
  8. Put a last layer of pasta in and pour the basic cheese sauce over the whole lot. Top with a little grated cheese.
  9. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
  10. Enjoy.

24th February 2011

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Vegitarian Chilli

You could technically use real mince in this but I can’t tell you how to cook it so you’d need to Google.

Ingredients;

  • 1 bag of Quorn Mince (You could use meat mince or any supermarket brand vegi mince)
  • 1 can of chopped tomatos
  • 1 can of Kidney Beans
  • 1 packet of chilli or fajita seasoning, either taste good :D
  • Squirt of tomato puree
  • Handful of green beans
  • 1 can of sweetcorn
  • 2 fresh tomatos
  • Onions
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • A couple of jalepenos or 1 small green chilli
  • Any other vegetables you actually like xD
  • Cooking oil

Method;

  1. Chop up the garlic and onions.
  2. Fry mince, garlic and onions in a pan in the oil. Make sure to stir frequently so it doesn’t burn or stick.
  3. Chop up all your veg into bitesized chunks. Except the sweetcorn. You don’t have to cut that :D
  4. Add the can of tomatos. Stir.
  5. Add the Kidney beans, vegetables, jalepenos, tomato puree… Just add everything else that isn’t already in the pan, okay?
  6. Heat until simmering and simmer for 15 minutes stirring frequently.
  7. Serve. It’s really good eaten with Jacket Potatos, rice or chips but you could probably eat it with pretty much any carb you can think of, I’ve used it as Spaghetti Bolognaise before. Or you can eat it on it’s own, obviously.

Note; Sorry this is a bit derpy, my fiance is fully wetting herself over the fact I typo’d ‘jalepenos’ as ‘jalepenis’ She’s very mature. So am I. *giggling*

7th February 2011

Post

Basic Cheese Sauce

Cheese sauce works with a heck of a lot of things, mostly I use it for pasta or steamed vegetables but I’m sure there would be other things you could pour it over or dip into it! This recipe makes about half a pint and has measurements because otherwise it can go horribly wrong so obviously if you want more or less it’s a good idea to work it out properly rather than just thinking you can guess, that’s how it ends up turning out too thin, lumpy or like a thick disgusting paste.

Ingredients;

  • 1/2 pint of milk
  • 1oz (30g) butter*
  • 1oz (30g) plain flour*
  • 2oz (60g) mild cheddar cheese* or 1oz (30g) Mature Cheddar

Notes: *I’ve used utterly butterly for this before and it was fine but I don’t know what it’d turn out like if you used margarine… *Plain flour is key here, also white works best, self-raising will make it go a really odd consistency (or it did when I made a mistake with the flour jars) and some types of wholemeal flour leave weird “bits” in it, if you have to use wholemeal make sure you sieve it as much as you can.

Method;

  1. Add milk, flour and butter to a pan.
  2. Heat on a very low heat, like the lowest you can get your cooker to do, until simmering constantly stirring, doing this with a whisk is best if you have one, if not a spoon will work but it’s harder to keep it smooth.
  3. Add in the cheese gradually, stirring to prevent lumps and make sure it mixes in evenly.
  4. Serve once all the cheese is melted and thoroughly stirred in.