Wednesday, May 04, 2016

Cookery Calendar Challenge: April


In April, I chose the Hairy Bikers' Good Eating book, which is the third one in their Hairy Dieters range. I bought the first book in the range after watching the associated television series, and both that and the second one quickly became regularly used. The second one improved on the first by including cooking times and a range of serving sizes, but I hadn't ever cooked anything from the third book despite having it for quite a while.




The first recipe was for creamy chicken and tarragon pots with rosemary potato wedges. It was simple to make and the flavours were beautiful. We didn't have any large ramekins so made one larger portion which we then split between us. It could probably have done with some more vegetables on the side, but I do think this is one I would make again. 




The second recipe was for a beef and coconut curry with roasted spiced cauliflower on the side. This wasn't a complete success, although The Husband said he really enjoyed it. It is a definite weekend recipe, as it involved a period of marinading, followed by a very long, slow cooking process, I don't mind that particularly, it's nice to keep popping into the kitchen and doing a little bit more, but the final result was pretty underwhelming, and I found it incredibly salty, which I think might have been as a result of the marinade. I did like the idea of a spiced cauliflower alongside the curry as an alternative to rice, and I have made it again since as a side dish. I had to buy about six new jars for my already pretty well-stocked spice rack so I will have to look for some more recipes to make good use of them all!




I was glad to finally make use of the book, and it has made me tempted to try a few more of the recipes out of it too. To see what books other people have used in April, do pop over to Penny's blog to have a look at the Cookery Calendar Challenge.

10 comments:

  1. Hi Katie, thank you for joining in with the Cookery Calendar Challenge again this month, I really appreciate it. I like the Hairy Bikers, I have theIr christmas book and use their recipe for my cooked ham every year. The chicken recipe sounds like a dish my family would enjoy. Shame your curry was a bit too salty. I really like roasted cauliflower and make it for myself quite often (I am the lone cauliflower lover in the house!) x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks Penny! I don't have any of their other books actually, so I shall keep an eye out. I love cauliflower but we don't have it often. I have started buying it more since making this recipe though x

      Delete
  2. The chicken dish looks delicious! I love tarragon but my husband isn't crazy about it so I just might have to have a memory lapse and cook it anyway! ; )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks Grace, tarragon is one of my few outdoor herbs that is growing well from last year, so I shall have to make sure I use it soon, it always makes such a difference to a dish (although that might not be a good thing if your husband doesn't enjoy it!) x

      Delete
  3. I have their first book, I use it lots x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I shall have to add to my collection! x

      Delete
  4. I enjoy watching the Hairy Bikers on the telly, but have never invested in any of their books. You've inspired me to seek them out in the library. I'm tempted by the beef and coconut curry and the spiced cauliflower, which is one of my favourite vegetables. If I do get round to cooking it I'll certainly heed your warning about the salt level.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oh do let me know if you give it a try!! thanks for visiting xx

      Delete