Cookery Calendar Challenge: July

Hopefully I'll manage to sneak in this entry just before the link-up closes for this month's Cookery Calendar Challenge. I am somewhat short on pictures, not because I didn't take some, but because I could not find a way to make the dishes appear photogenic and I was wary that my photography might do a disservice to the recipes!

This month I used a new recipe book that The Husband bought for me. It is the recipe book that goes with Eat Well For Less, a television programme that we sometimes watch. I commented that it would be interesting to see some of the recipes they use, and The Husband proved himself to be a better listener than I sometimes give him credit for and got it for me.

Overall, I found this book really impressive. It is a very different style of book to the beautiful Rick Stein one I loved a few months ago, far more functional and practical, but a lot of thought has gone into how it is written. There is a lot of basic information at the start, and then some of the recipes have clever adaptations, such as making three different meals out of one base recipe. Additionally, it has a full meal planner for two weeks at the back, which includes plans for using leftovers of certain dishes, and a full shopping list to go along side them. I feel like it's a genuinely useful book, really accessible, and would be great for anyone who wants to improve their confidence with cooking in a structured way.

As a result, some of the recipes are incredibly basic, so much as I liked the sound of the chicken and pesto pasta, I didn't follow the recipe for this challenge as it was as simple as it sounds. The recipes I did choose though were all really successful, though as with other books, I was surprised that the curry dishes didn't include more vegetables, particularly for recipes that are supposed to be healthier where possible.

First up was Chicken Tikka Masala. Other than the lack of vegetables, it was a really simple, tasty dish.There was a little bit of marinating involved, but all of the ingredients were ones I already had in, and it made for a really enjoyable meal.

The Husband picked Chickpea and Sweetcorn Burgers, which were an amazing success. I didn't have bread rolls when I made them, so used wraps instead, and served them with some sweet potato fries, and they were brilliant. I was surprised that The Husband had picked them to begin with, but even more surprised by how much he raved about them, though I was inclined to agree with him. The flavour was great, and they were reminiscent of falafel, though far more successful than last time I tried to make it. The recipe also included a lovely salsa which was a nice addition, and I would like to try these again very soon!

Finally I made the Chicken Dhansak, which was a good dish for using the lentils sitting in the cupboard, and was also a really enjoyable way to cook chicken thighs, which I don't usually enjoy. Having made rather a huge amount as an attempt at batch cooking, I didn't end up eating it that night. However (and this gives you an insight into the lack of organisation in my freezer), I lifted out what I thought was chilli for tonight's dinner, only to find upon defrosting that it was in fact this dish. So I am able to report back and let you know that it was another really lovely meal, the honey adding a hint of sweetness and the chicken having become really tender.

Overall I was really pleased with the recipes I made from this book, and there are plenty more that I would like to try. Do head over to Penny's page to see what else people have been cooking this month, meanwhile I will go and pick out a book for August!