redjanet's Profile

From: London, United Kingdom

Joined: April 4th, 2011

About me: Hello! Living in London with my husband and cat, I have only just become more interested in cooking over the last few years, especially as I became more and more dismayed by my inability to return the favour of cooking for family and friends, which is now something I love to do even though it still sometimes makes me nervous. I wasn't really taught how to cook when I was young so I've had to teach myself which I've been doing with the help of the Good Food and Food Network channels along with my growing collection of cook books. My favourite, "teachers," in the kitchen have been Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, though I love watching cookery programmes in general and find just reading through cook books to be a great source of comfort. I'm really pleased to have stumbled upon this website as it has the potential to be a great resource and is exactly what I was wishing and looking for with regards to a simple way of keeping track of recipes I've tried.

Favorite cookbook: Ministry of Food by Jamie Oliver

Favorite recipe: pot-roast meatloaf from Ministry of Food


Latest review:

November 6th, 2018

Ultimate chilli from BOSH!: Simple Recipes. Amazing Food. All Plants. The Fastest-Selling Vegan Cookbook Ever

This took a little bit longer than I anticipated to prep, but it was completely worth it for such amazing flavour. I loved using minced mushroom instead of processed fake beef mince (or beef!) in combination... read more >


recipe reviews (206)
book reviews (1)
useful review votes (106)

redjanet's Reviews


Search Reviews:

205 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating | Recipe Title

Jamie's Ministry of Food: Anyone Can Learn to Cook in 24 Hours

By Jamie Oliver
Michael Joseph - 2008

10th April 2011

French dressing

This is a lovely simple salad dressing which can be made quickly and easily by simply shaking the ingredients together in a small jar. It is delicious on salads and goes well with chicken and fish dishes.

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As soon as I saw this recipe listed I knew that I had to try it out. Chorizo is one of my favourite ingredients as it always brings great flavour to whatever recipe it is in and this soup is no exception. The combination of the salty chorizo with the sweet potato is delicious. This is a hearty, warming soup that tastes even better re-heated the next day and also well from frozen.

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10th April 2011

Pot-roast meatloaf

As an expat American living abroad I am always on the lookout for meatloaf recipes and of the few that I have tried, this is by far the best. The loaf itself comes out really juicy and flavourful and the tomato sauce with smoked paprika, chili and chick peas gives an interesting twist on an old classic. I made this recently for my in-laws and my mother-in-law said it was the best meal she'd had made for her in ages. High praise indeed!

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10th April 2011

Best new potatoes

A quick easy way to prepare new potatoes. The addition of lemon, mint and butter adds terrific flavour and this is a great side dish for most chicken, lamb or fish main courses.

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Website: Ocado

www.ocado.com
 

14th April 2011

Quick seafood linguine

This is a quick and easy, but also elegant way to serve pasta mid-week. The lemon and parsley gives the dish a fresh flavour and using half fat creme fraiche keeps the calories down. I used spaghetti instead of linguine as it was what I had in the cupboard, and I also just used cooked prawns instead of a seafood mix and it was absolutely fine. I'll definitely be making this one again.

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Nigella Express: Good Food, Fast

By Nigella Lawson
Hyperion - 2007

17th April 2011

Mustard pork chops

This was the first recipe I ever made from this book and it was a great introduction. It is very easy, especially with the gnocchi as a side dish. The uses of cider and mustard, along with the cream gives this a rich, creamy flavour.

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The preparation for this dish couldn't be simpler and the results are really delicious. Unlike in the photo in the book, I roasted the sweet potatoes and the poussins in separate trays in the oven (which is how Nigella instructs in the actual recipe). Although I find poussin a bit fiddly to eat, this was very juicy. I absolutely love the flavour of the sweet potatoes which is roasted in garlic oil and cumin (my favourite spice). This has become a regular way of preparing sweet potatoes even with other dishes.

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17th April 2011 (edited: 17th April 2011)

Breakfast Bars

These are easy to make and come out chewy and delicious. The last time I made them I stored them in the "throwaway" foil tin I baked them in, a la Nigella, but as I was the only one in the house eating them they turned a bit hard and crumbly rather quickly. The next time I make them I'll store them in a more airtight container and see if they last any longer, as they're really worth making for a get up and go portable breakfast.

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17th April 2011

Rocky road crunch bars

This is a fun dessert to make and bring to parties. It is rich and very filling and it's really delicious. I didn't bother adding the icing sugar to the top as I think the bars are sugary enough without them. These are very satisfying and I would only recommend if you have plenty of room in your tummy for them.

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Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home

By Nigella Lawson
Chatto & Windus - 2010

This is a good, easy recipe for entertaining as it only takes a few minutes to actually assemble and then stays in the oven for an hour. The red onion, chorizo and orange zest add lovely flavours and it's a great all-in-one dish with maybe a salad on the side.

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27th April 2011

Indian-rubbed lamb chops

This is a very easy and wonderfully flavourful way to serve up lamb. The recipe calls for chops, but I'm not a fan of gnawing on bones so I usually use lamb leg steaks, which works just fine. The most time consuming part of preparing this is lining up all of the spices this calls for, but once that's done all it takes is mixing the spices together, rubbing them onto the lamb and then frying the lamb in garlic oil. This tastes beautiful and is one of my OH's favourite dishes that I've made.

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BBC Olive
(May, 2011)

 

8th May 2011 (edited: 8th May 2011)

Lamb kleftico with lemon roast potatoes

I wasn't sure if it was going to be worth my time spending about 2 1/2 hours on a recipe that is only meant to feed two, but I'm glad that I did. This is a slow-cooked take on a Greek dish using lamb neck fillet, flavoured with tomatoes, lemon juice, cinnamon and oregano. I forgot to purchase the fresh oregano which the recipe called for and used dry instead, and the dish was still quite flavourful. The sauce had a softly sharp tang from the lemon, but this was offset nicely by the cool, salty feta cheese sprinkled on just before serving. The simple accompaniment of small roasted potatoes, tossed before serving with lemon zest and sea salt was very good and I'll definitely be keeping this one for future use.

This recipe is available online here: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1285648/lamb-kleftiko-with-lemon-roast-potatoes

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Website: BBC Good Food

www.bbcgoodfood.com
 

I wasn't sure if it was going to be worth my time spending about 2 1/2 hours on a recipe that is only meant to feed two, but I'm glad that I did. This is a slow-cooked take on a Greek dish using lamb neck fillet, flavoured with tomatoes, lemon juice, cinnamon and oregano. I forgot to purchase the fresh oregano which the recipe called for and used dry instead, and the dish was still quite flavourful. The sauce had a softly sharp tang from the lemon, but this was offset nicely by the cool, salty feta cheese sprinkled on just before serving. The simple accompaniment of small roasted potatoes, tossed before serving with lemon zest and sea salt was very good and I'll definitely be keeping this one for future use.

This recipe was also printed in the May 2011 issue of BBC Olive magazine.

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Nigella Express: Good Food, Fast

By Nigella Lawson
Hyperion - 2007

31st May 2011

Quick Chilli

I thought this was surprisingly really good and much better than it had a right to be considering how much of a cheat's recipe it is. Instead of stewing for an hour or more, this chilli can be cooked for less than half an hour due to the flavour added to it from chorizo, sweet chili sauce and a blend of spices as well as jarred pasta sauce. I didn't add extra chilli flakes as recommended as I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to spices and I found the mild kick of the sweet chilli sauce to be enough for me. I'll definitely be making this one again when I fancy a hearty midweek meal, especially in winter.

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BBC Olive
(June, 2011)

 

23rd May 2011 (edited: 23rd May 2011)

Chargrilled pepper chicken with lime aioli

Sometimes the simplest dishes, such as this, are the best and this was really very nice. Flattening the chicken thigh fillets and then griddling them made them soft and tender and juicy. I can imagine that cooking the chicken pieces like this would make them excellent to use in chicken burgers, which I will probably try in the future. I used a griddle pan (I assumed by charcoal grill they meant a barbecue and I didn't think it was necessary) and I also just used bagged salad instead of the watercress and tomato. I accompanied this with potato wedges and it was all really simple and flavourful and felt like the OH and I were eating a nice, summery pub meal.

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Forever Summer

By Nigella Lawson
Chatto & Windus - 2005

29th May 2011 (edited: 29th May 2011)

Za'atar chicken with fattoush

I made the chicken and the salad on the same page together and it was really lovely. The coolness of the salad, which consists of cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, mint, and pitta bread with dressing and seasoning complemented the earthiness of the za'atar blend on the chicken, which was extremely easy, really well. This would be a nice dish to serve to guests al fresco in the summer accompanied by a light rose wine.

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Website: Smitten Kitchen

www.smittenkitchen.com
 

19th June 2011 (edited: 19th June 2011)

Strawberry Summer Cake

So this cake seems very popular right now, but as British strawberries are having a good season and I needed something to take to a family dinner, I thought it would be ideal. It was very easy to put together and came out beautifully. I used a 9 inch springform tin as suggested as a possibility in the recipe, which worked perfectly. I also quartered the strawberries instead of just halving them as they were quite huge. The juice from the strawberries seeped nicely into the cake making it very moist, but not too mushy and everyone seemed to really enjoy it and were coming back for seconds. It went very well with cream poured on top, but was also moist enough on its own. I will definitely make this again and may try it with other fruit, such as blueberries or raspberries.

Edit: Forgot to add earlier that I only used plain flour as I had loads of it in my cupboard (and no barley flour) and it tasted really good.

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Website: The Food Network

www.foodnetwork.com
 

19th June 2011

Baked potato wedges

This is a Barefoot Contessa method for making potato wedges and it is my regular go-to way of making them. I've done them as described with rosemary and garlic, which is delicious, but I've also just used paprika instead (with a bit of salt and pepper) when I'm not in the mood for chopping rosemary and garlic and that works really well too. They always come out perfectly.

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Ching's Chinese Food Made Easy: 100 Simple, Healthy Recipes from Easy-to-find Ingredients

By Ching-He Huang
Harper - 2010

28th June 2011

Beef in oyster sauce

This is a really delicious, simple and quick meal that is perfect for a week night. I always end up using more oyster sauce than the recipe specifies, but it's so full of flavour that I don't care. Goes beautifully with rice and the baby pak choy adds an extra element to the dish.

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The 30-minute Cook

By Nigel Slater
Penguin Books Ltd - 2006

This smelled delicious while cooking and tasted even better while eating. It's a fairly quick and easy stir-fry dish, but the mushrooms and walnuts give it a good heartiness and the hoisin sauce adds so much flavour. My spouse and I both loved it and I'll definitely be making it again. Goes very well with rice, though some greens with it would be nice as well just to add some freshness.

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Website: BBC recipes

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes
 

I decided to try this after seeing Simon Hopkinson make it in his new series, The Good Cook, which is based on his new book of the same name. This is a very tasty baked pasta dish for two people. It's fairly simple to make, though it takes a little bit of effort, but it was definitely worth it. The white sauce made from a roux combined with porcini-soaked milk gave the dish lots of flavour. I wasn't sure about the pappardelle I bought as it was quite large and the 100g specified by the recipe didn't seem to be enough, so I added in some more. It turned out to be very filling, but not too much, so I would do the same thing again in the future. This was really good comfort food and one I'll definitely want to make again (and will definitely consider buying the book!).

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Economy Gastronomy: Eat Better and Spend Less

By Allegra McEvedy, Paul Merrett
Michael Joseph - 2009

6th August 2011 (edited: 6th August 2011)

Quick spiced chicken thighs with emergency biryani

This was really very good and I was very pleased with the results. The chicken, which was marinaded in sweet chilli sauce, curry powder, cumin, garlic and stem ginger syrup had a wonderful slightly sweet/slightly spicy flavour which came out perfectly. The rice was cooked with the absorption method, which I had never tried before and was very happy to get good results with. It was still slightly wet so could have probably used a few minutes more of standing and steaming, but I was just happy that it didn't stick to the bottom of the pan! The turmeric gave it a lovely bright yellow colour which went well with the brightly coloured tomatoes and peas which were mixed in.

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Good Mood Food: Simple Healthy Homecooking

By Donal Skehan
Mercier Press - 2010

14th August 2011

Herby roast chicken

I just made this for Sunday lunch and it was a very tasty way to serve chicken. You simply make a paste of garlic, thyme, basil, parsley and olive oil and spread it all over the bird (and under the skin of the breast), while also stuffing the cavity with lemon, thyme and rosemary. I served this with boiled new potatoes and a side of Italian broad beans (separate review forthcoming) and it all went very well together.

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Leon Book 2, Naturally Fast Food

By Henry Dimbleby, John Vincent
Conran Octopus - 2010

21st August 2011

Italian broad beans

This was a really good, easy way to jazz up some frozen broad beans. All you do is cook them in a saucepan with some simmered chopped tomatoes and garlic and a bit of oil for about 15 minutes and you're done. It made a terrific side dish for roast chicken and was really good cold the next day for lunch mixed in with some couscous and leftover roast chicken. I don't have kids, but I imagine that the flavour added to the beans by the other ingredients would make it a possibly easier way to get some greens down their gullet.

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101 One-pot Dishes: Tried-and-tested Recipes (Good Food 101)

By B.B.C. "Good Food Magazine"
BBC Books - 2006

21st August 2011

Chicken biryani

I don't think I'll never want to get another Indian take-away again after making this recipe, as the book suggested, but it certainly was a very solid, easy recipe to make that I enjoyed eating. I used a mild curry powder as I don't like my food too spicy anyway, and all this basically consisted of was crisping the skin of the chicken thighs first before adding onions, rice and stock and then baking it in the oven for half an hour before adding frozen peas for a final few minutes. The quantities specified made plenty for my OH and me, so I have a nice amount of rice and peas left over for a couple of lunches to take to work over the next couple of days.

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BBC Good Food
(January, 2012)

 

This was adapted from Bill Granger's new "Everyday Asian," book and was simply delicious. I was looking for a way to use up some hoisin sauce and this recipe made a quick marinade and after just 15 minutes in the fridge and then 35 minutes in the oven, the chicken was juicy and with a flavourful, slightly crispy skin. I did not make the accompanying salad, but it does look like it would go very well with the chicken. I wasn't sure about buying this new book, but now I'm tempted.

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Home Cooking Made Easy

By Lorraine Pascale
HarperCollins - 2011

This is a terrific main dish to make for a dinner party. After some initial, easy prep, the lamb shanks and some other bits are left to stew in the oven in a wine and balsamic vinegar-flavoured sauce for three hours (with the chorizo and veg added after two hours). This was flavourful and went well with mashed potatoes. Lorraine gives instructions on how to reduce down the sauce for a thicker gravy but I didn't find that necessary.

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Nigella Express: Good Food, Fast

By Nigella Lawson
Hyperion - 2007

21st July 2012

New Orleans Coleslaw

I've never made my own coleslaw before and I made this today to take for a picnic and it's very good! Nice, fresh flavours with a hint of sweetness from the maple syrup. I've never had nuts in coleslaw before either and it adds a nice extra texture. The measurements given make plenty.

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Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home

By Nigella Lawson
Chatto & Windus - 2010

This is a must make for any fans of the chocolate and peanut butter combination. Easy and makes a wonderful, rich and impressive dessert for a big gathering.

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Feast: Food That Celebrates Life

By Nigella Lawson
Chatto & Windus - 2006

This was an excellent, easy recipe for an Easter main course and side. Following the timing guidelines suggested by Nigella, the lamb was tender, juicy and pink and full of flavour. The potatoes were also delicious and easy to prepare alongside the lamb. I had never roasted a whole leg of lamb before and this was the perfect recipe to start with.

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Nigellissima: Instant Italian Inspiration

By Nigella Lawson
Chatto & Windus - 2012

This is a perfect recipe for when you don't have a lot of time on your hands but you need a dinner that is warm and soothing and easy to make. Similar to the flavours of a quick linguine recipe from Nigella Bites, this is easy to eat comfort food using orzo pasta instead of risotto rice.

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Website: Melissa's Bargains

www.melissasbargains.com
 

2nd February 2014

Easy cashew chicken

I was a bit unsure while I was making this how well it would turn out as I used a bit too much flour and the sauce seemed rather thin when poured over the chicken, but I needn't have worried. The end result was a rich, flavourful dish with juicy pieces of chicken which really did taste like a dish one might get from a Chinese takeaway, only a lot healthier. I may substitute different stir-fry vegetables next time, though the snow peas worked well, but I definitely will make this again.

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Website: BBC Good Food

www.bbcgoodfood.com
 

8th October 2014 (edited: 6th January 2015)

Sweet potato & chicken curry

This was hearty and delicious and is good for an autumn/winter night. I like that this is healthy and also reheated well for lunch the next day. I used korma curry paste but you could probably use whatever type you prefer.

ETA 06/01/2015: I've upgraded this to 5 stars as I've made this many times since and always enjoy it as a dish to look forward to both for dinner and then for lunch the next day at work.

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Feast: Food That Celebrates Life

By Nigella Lawson
Chatto & Windus - 2006

3rd January 2015

Chocolate Guinness Cake

This was a very easy cake to make and turned out moist and delicious. I don't like Guinness (or any beer for the matter), and I was pleased that instead of giving it a any flavour of beer, the stout just added a more intensity of flavour. The cream cheese frosting gave the perfect contrast to the rich chocolate cake.

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The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime: Comfort Classics, Freezer Food, 16-Minute Meals, and Other Delicious Ways to Solve Supper!

By Ree Drummond
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2015

23rd March 2016

Cashew chicken

This was a resounding success. The combination of flavours (the sauce is incredible) and textures was perfect and I would be very happy if a dish I ordered in a Chinese restaurant tasted as good as that. This also reheated very well for lunch the next day. I will definitely be making this again.

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Olive: 100 of the Very Best Chicken Recipes (Olive Magazine)

By Olive Magazine
Orion - 2016

Excellent quick and easy dish which is comforting and healthy and perfect for a simple weeknight meal for two. I turned the chicken thighs over halfway through the initial 10 minute poaching time as it didn't look as if they would cook the whole way through otherwise. I also left out the butter to cut down on the calories and the dish tasted fine.

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The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime: Comfort Classics, Freezer Food, 16-Minute Meals, and Other Delicious Ways to Solve Supper!

By Ree Drummond
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2015

13th April 2016

Beef with snow peas

Another excellent stir-fry from this book with a delicious sauce. Also, surprisingly healthy for PW! I think next time I may substitute broccoli florets for the snow peas as suggested as I think the textures would work better, but overall this was another hit I will be making again.

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The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight

By Hairy Bikers
W&N - 2012

These burgers were tastier than I expected them to be and I was very pleased considering they are pretty healthy. I thought they might be a bit too wet with the grated courgettes and onions in them, but they were solid enough. I'm glad the recipe specified cooking them in a frying pan though as I think they would have fallen apart on a griddle pan, which is how I usually cook burgers.

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Website: All Good, All Vegan

allgoodallvegan.wordpress.com
 

23rd January 2018

Mushroom Bolognese

A dish that proves that you don't need meat for a meal to be satisfying. Mushrooms take the place of ground beef here, with pesto rounding things off with lots of flavour. This is a favourite in my household, which I make often. Leftovers of this dish make a great packed lunch.

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Deliciously Ella Every Day: Simple recipes and fantastic food for a healthy way of life

By Ella Mills (Woodward)
Yellow Kite - 2016

4th February 2018

Veggie paella

This was delicious and full of flavour. Neither my husband or I missed the presence of chicken or chorizo or any other meat products. The author suggested adding boiled potatoes to the dish for extra heartiness, but we both found it quite hearty enough. I had enough leftovers for three days' worth of lunch, which I am looking forward to.

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Forks Over Knives - The Cookbook: Over 300 Recipes for Plant-Based Eating All Through the Year

By Del Sroufe, Julieanna Hever MS RD CPT, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Darshana Thacker, Judy Micklewright
The Experiment - 2012

27th February 2018

Chinese brown sauce

This sauce is used throughout the book in several recipes and I'm sure I will make it many times in the future. It adds a sweet but also savoury flavour to dishes that is similar to hoisin sauce or sweet chilli sauce. I really liked it.

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Website: Bosh!

www.bosh.tv
 

21st March 2018

Penne pasta casserole

I made this for my non-vegan in-laws on Mothering Sunday and it went down very well. It was hearty and delicious without being too heavy. It was the first time I'd made "cheese" sauce using cashews and, seriously, I could have drank it straight from the blender if it weren't for the fact that I had guests waiting for their lunch. Definitely one to make again!

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21st March 2018

mayonnaise

I was amazed by how well this worked. Quick and easy and can be used in place of real mayonnaise for so many things. I used this to mix into chickpea tuna, but would work very well as a sandwich spread as well or anything else you might need or want mayonnaise for.

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Website: Clean Food Dirty Girl

cleanfooddirtygirl.com
 

I made this to take to a barbecue because a barbecue just isn't a barbecue without potato salad, IMO. This was delicious! Mayonnaise was not missed at all as the dressing had so much flavour. I will definitely keep this recipe in reserve for future use.

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Isa Does It: Amazingly Easy, Wildly Delicious Vegan Recipes for Every Day of the Week

By Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Little, Brown and Company - 2013

1st July 2018 (edited: 1st July 2018)

Chicky tuna salad sandwiches

This is an excellent substitute if you are missing tuna salad sandwiches at all. Even if you've never had tuna salad, this is a terrific sandwich filler. The crunch and texture is very satisfying, especially on toast. That said, I have trouble waiting for it to be on the toast before I start shovelling it into my mouth! I do recommend adding the dulse flakes as recommended as it really does help add that extra fishy taste, but of course without the actual fish!

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Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes

By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Matthew Ruscigno
Da Capo Lifelong Books - 2010

29th October 2018

Shabby sheik hummus

I thought I would miss the tahini in this but I didn't at all. I used sweet smoked paprika and cumin and left out the cayenne pepper as I don't like things very spicy and it was delicious.

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BOSH!: Simple Recipes. Amazing Food. All Plants. The Fastest-Selling Vegan Cookbook Ever

By Henry Firth, Ian Theasby
HQ - 2018

6th November 2018

Ultimate chilli

This took a little bit longer than I anticipated to prep, but it was completely worth it for such amazing flavour. I loved using minced mushroom instead of processed fake beef mince (or beef!) in combination with kidney beans and black beans and many other flavour-enhancing ingredients such as soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and chocolate. This also reheated very well for lunch in the microwave, tasting even better over the next couple of days.

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Jamie's Ministry of Food: Anyone Can Learn to Cook in 24 Hours

By Jamie Oliver
Michael Joseph - 2008

10th April 2011

Chicken korma

Using a lot of easy to find store cupboard ingredients, this is a simple recipe that provides delicious results. Though I wouldn't say that it tastes quite like a korma you would get from a takeaway, it is still a fulfilling hearty meal, which also reheats very well for lunch the next day.

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This is a good easy hearty dish using a mix of fresh and store-cupboard ingredients. Good for feeding a few people, the use of kidney beans and chickpeas really helps bulk it up, keeping it fairly healthy and low in fat. Of course it is really good with added shredded cheese and sour cream! As with the lasagne recipe from the same book, I tend to add less water to the mix than Jamie recommends as I prefer the final results to be a bit less wet.

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10th April 2011

Lamb and red wine stew

On a page in the book with other stew recipes, this is a very flavourful, rich stew that is is simple to make. I'd recommend giving it a stir occasionally as quite a bit stuck to the bottom of my pan, but it was still very tasty.

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