It would for me! It’s perfect for a Monday meal, to soothe away my back-to-work blues (not that I would knock it back any other day of the week, of course!).

When I was sent a case of Merrydown Cider to review, I couldn’t resist trying their Bangers braised in Merrydown cider recipe. I already knew cider and pork paired tremendously well, so was certain it would be a tasty dish!

I made several changes to the recipe and method, so will post my version on this page (their recipe can be seen here). Here’s what I did:

Ingredients (Serves 4… or 3 greedy people *blush*):

• 8 pork sausages
• 200g smoked lardons (or you could just cut up a few bacon slices if you have them in the fridge)
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 x tbsp plain flour
• 400ml Merrydown Cider
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 x tbsp chopped fresh thyme (I’m sure dried would be fine too)

First, I pre-heated my oven to 180 degrees.

I then browned the sausages in a frying pan, before transferring them to a casserole dish

Next, I fried the bacon & onion for 5 minutes, until the bacon became crisp and the onions translucent

I stirred in 1tbsp flour, then gradually added the cider

I poured it all into the casserole dish, seasoned with pepper (it doesn’t need any salt, believe me), added my thyme & bay leaf and popped into the oven (lid on) for 30 minutes.

I removed the lid and let it cook for a further 20 minutes (whilst I boiled my totties).

I served it with mashed potatoes mixed with Light Garlic & Herb Philidelphia

What can I say… it definitely climbed up a few places in that Top 10 of comfort food!

The cider gravy was a nice change to the usual onion gravy associated with bangers & mash. It was nice and light, yet packed a lot of flavour. The bacon lardons were a nice touch too… mmm salty goodness.

Merrydown are running a promotion where customers can win a host of “quintessentially” British prizes. When you purchase one of their promotional bottles, you enter the unique code (found on the back of the neck label) on this website and could be in with a chance of winning prizes including:

• A Summer Street Party Kit (includes a gazebo, bunting and chairs)
• Tickets for 2 to a County Show of your Choice (details of said shows on the website)
• Gardening kits including a wheelbarrow and hand tools
• Craft books (oooh this does appeal to my geeky nature)
• Merrydown Cooler bags

Makes me want to leave work early and start up the BBQ… if I owned one.

Do you have any favourite recipes for using cider with? Next on my list is their pasta with ham and apple in a Merrydown cider sauce… yum!

Have a lovely week x

Lets all close our eyes for a minute and pretend we’re sunbathing on a Spanish Beach… *water lapping peacefully* *sun beating down*

Sigh…

In the absence of Spanish sunshine, I give you the next best thing… this gorgeous Chicken & Chorizo Paella recipe, from Delicious Magazine.

As someone who’s always been somewhat petrified of Paella (after an unfortunate squid-eating accident… I don’t want to talk about it), I was delighted to see this adaptation that forgoes the whole sea-life malarkey.

Unusually for me, I followed the ingredients word for word. Find the ingredients list here.

I’m not sure how authentic it is, but I’ll tell you something… it’s damn tasty. And easy! So give it a bash…

Here’s what I did (Serves 4):

I made my Paella in my big soup pot… no need for a fancy Paella pan!

First, I fried the chorizo, until its oils were released (don’t be tempted to add oil to the pan… it will come out eventually!). I scooped the sausage out and set aside for later.

Next, I fried the onions in the chorizo oil for 5mins, then stirred in the paprika.

In went the chicken, which I fried for 5mins, then removed the lot from the pan (for later).

After melting a knob of butter in the pan, I added my paella rice, followed by the stock. Giving it a good stir, I let it simmer for 10mins.

I added the chicken, chorizo & onions back to the pan, along with some green beans, cherry tomatoes and red pepper. I made sure to season it well, before giving it a final 5mins to cook through (and for the rice to absorb the remaining juices).

I served the Paella with some warm, buttery, crusty bread. My mouth waters just remembering it!

This is a perfect meal for any occasion: quick enough for mid-week, when you can’t be bothered doing too much, yet ideal for the weekend, when you have friends over for dinner!

As there were only three of us eating this, I ended up throwing some of it out (with a heavy heart), because I’d heard you couldn’t reheat Paella. I’ve since found out this isn’t true, as long as you refrigerate once cooled and reheat it thoroughly.

Would anyone care to share their rice-reheating stories with me?

Dare I ask… have you ever frozen and reheated Paella successfully? *gets my OAMC list at the ready*

Ya me despido… Un abrazo y hasta pronto! x

Take it away, rene bene…

Hello everyone! I’m Irene (Catherines better half) and I have been inspired to do a wee guest blog on Noble Nourishment following a very successful soup making operation.

Here is my recipe for… Currienaush! In English, Curried butternut squash.

I can’t handle normal mundane words (neither can Catherine), we prefer to rename almost every single thing in life with something more entertaining. We don’t even call soup soup, we call it sopu. Yes, I know… and don’t even get us started on making sopu with a ham hough (haaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwkkkk).

Ahem, anyway. I have been following weight watchers since May last year, and am always on the look out for low-point food and whatnot, and I am thrilled to say this sopu is ZERO points. Yipee! Excellent for when your totes hank marvin and have no points left!

Even better is how ridiculously simple this is.

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 medium onions (any type)
• 2 vegetable stock cubes
• 1 ½ tea spoon Curry Powder

Instructions:

Peel and slice the butternut squash. Cut into 1 inch squares (this doesn’t have to be precise, mines were all kinds of mental shapes and sizes) Peel and quarter the onions. Put all chopped veg into a roasting dish for 45 mins. It’s ok if it browns: this adds to the flavour.

Once roasted, add to the sopu pot, add 2 pints (or more if you like thinnish soup, as 2 pints makes for a lush thick soup) of vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Then simmer for 15 mins. Then blend either with a hand blender or food processor.

Add the curry powder to a small frying pan on low heat, toast for 2 minutes until fragrant (be careful not to burn). Then add to the blended sopu and stir.

Et voilà: Currienaush! As I mentioned, this is crazy simple, and I’m sure I’ll make it pretty reguarly to make sure I’ve always got some zero point grub! Thanks for reading x

You always hear such good things about fish don’t you?  All those nutrients and “good fats”. What swings it, for me, is the abundance of gorgeous recipes out there for fish.

Such as this Waitrose one, for Cod & Asparagus Parcels.

It couldn’t be easier to cook, but gives the impression of going that extra mile!

I used fine asparagus in the recipe, but I would recommend you just use the normal, thicker asparagus, as the thin stems were a bit too tender for my liking.

Shock horror, I used the ingredients word for word (with the exception of the asparagus). See them here.

Here’s what I did:

I lay my cod on a bed of asparagus, then topped with chilli flakes, lemon juice, black pepper, butter and parsley.

I folded the edges and made a sealed parcel, like this:

I popped my parcels into a preheated oven (200 degrees) for 20 minutes, and voilà! It was ready! I served it with some of my homemade potato salad and broccoli. Delicious and healthy!

(Please note the attempt to disguise my shoddy photographic skills!)

Care to share your favourite fish recipes?

See you all next week x

After years of drooling over their many food-porn adverts in the past (you know the ones… like Nigella on Viagra… food descriptions so sexualised they bear the brunt of some hilarious spoofs), I felt excessively indulgent making my way through the aisles.

You know me… I like my Aldi/Lidl. This was new territory for a lowly scoundrel such as I.

I picked up some lovely bits and bobs (such as some Messicani pasta and paella rice… trying my hand at a chicken & chorizo paella tonight!), but I steered clear of the ready meals. It made me realise something about myself as a consumer; as an eager home cook. This, my friends, is where I admit that I find food shopping massively enjoyable.

Food shopping is an important part of the cooking process for me: I like to analyse what’s on offer and think of how to throw things together to make a palatable meal.

Those amazing looking M&S meals have done all the “hard” work; coming up with it’s own scrumptious ideas and presenting me with drool-worthy creations, ready to pop into the oven/microwave. Not to impugn M&S, but the more elaborate the meals, the less scope I had for my own creativity. I’m no Heston Blumenthal, but I like to have a good think about what I want to make.

So this week’s recipe will come as no surprise to you: My sausage, sweet potato & leek bake was courtesy of the recent special deals from my local Lidl and Morrisons.

What I love most about this dish is how many vegetables I managed to squeeze into it! I used Weight Watchers sausages that were on special offer, so it was a perfectly guilt-free meal, with no compromise on the taste!

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 8 x sausages of your choice, cut into thirds
• 6 x sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1 x leek, diced
• 1 x 500g pack of diced carrot & swede
• 1 x tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 x veg stock cube, dissolved in 300ml boiled water
• 1 x tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 x tin baked beans in tomato sauce
• 50g grated mature cheese (optional)

First, I fried the sausages and leek in a little olive oil, for 5 minutes. I then put my sweet potatoes on to boil (for 15 mins), and preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

To my sausages, I stirred in the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock and dijon mustard. After seasoning generously with salt & pepper, I let it simmer for a further 10 minutes.

I added the sausages to my (drained) pot of sweet potatoes, chucked in the baked beans and gently mixed it all up, before transferring to an baking dish. I sprinkled with cheese and popped into the oven for a further 10 minutes (or until the cheese is golden and the filling is bubbling)

If you’re wanting a ridiculously tasty, cheap, nutritious meal (that contains no less than SIX different vegetables in it), you certainly can’t go wrong with this beauty…

You could use different, fancier sausages in this, or opt for “normal” potatoes instead of sweet potatoes. Perhaps you’d prefer spring onion instead of leek? Or how about throwing in a tin of sweetcorn instead of beans? The possibilities are endless.

What’s more, it froze really well! Perfect for a wee lunch to take into work and reheat in the micro.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on. I’m positive you’ll like it!

Enjoy x

I’ve already posted (quite frankly, delicious) recipes for Slow Cooked Pork Chorizo & Sweet Potato Casserole and Slow Cooked Pork in Cider with Butternut Squash; I just love how meltingly tender the pork gets when cooked for a long time.

Since I’ve become teetotal, a bottle of Ginger Beer has been lurking away in the fridge. I decided to try it with the pork, with excellent results!

Here’s what I used:

Ingredients (Serves 3-4)

• 480g pork loin steaks, fat removed and diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 8 shallots, halved
• 500ml ginger beer (I used this one)
• 2 beef stock cubes, dissolved in 200ml boiled water

First, I prepared my veg and added it to the slow cooker

I browned my pork and added to the slow cooker, then brought the ginger beer to a boil in the same pan (to help get rid of the alcohol). I added this and my stock to the slow cooker, seasoned generously, then gave it all a stir…

I put it on the “low” setting and forgot about it for 8 hours! It was perfect with some creamy mash and fresh broccoli!

(Apologies for the crappy pic – I’d already started eating it when I remembered!)

The pork was so tender and juicy, and the sauce was gorgeous. I thought it would be really “ginger beer”-ish, but it was actually quite subtle; only the tiniest of kicks!

I’m sure non-alcoholic ginger beer would work just as well, if you have any concerns about making it for kids, etc.

Of course, it tasted even better the next day for lunch!

Now I need to figure out what to do with all my leftover Southern Comfort and Vodka! :p

Have a good week, everyone x

I’ve had Patatas Bravas on my “To Do” list for a good while now, so when my brother had a Tapas Night at his home recently, I offered to make and bring some along.

I used this recipe (I know… I’m aware there are other food websites out there: it’s a website addiction, I tell ye!). The only deviation was using normal paprika instead of the sweet variety. Smoked paprika would be good too, I think.

Oh, and I used chilli flakes as opposed to chilli powder. Careful with those flakes… they sting the nostrils!

Naturally, I doubled the amount, cos we’re all gannets!

I made sure to get all my peeling and chopping done in advance. Preparation makes the rest of it go smoothly

I fried my onions for a few minutes, then added garlic, tomatoes, purée, paprika, chilli flakes, and sugar.

I seasoned then left to simmer for 10 minutes. You can make this up to 24 hours ahead. I made it about 5 hours ahead, but see nothing wrong with making it for immediate eating!

I preheated the oven to 200 degrees and drizzled my diced totties with some olive oil, salt & paprika. I roasted for 1 hour, and tried not to eat them all.

The sauce was reheated then poured over the potatoes. My humble dish joined this mammoth bunch of tapas delights:

Here’s a list of all the other Tapas delights, made by the Lovely Lindsay!

• Spanish Meatballs
• Chorizo in Red Wine (to die for)
• Chicken with Peppers
• Paella
• Garlic Mushrooms
• Chilli Prawns
• Frittata

Impressive!

I can happily ignore my earlier perception of Tapas food being meagre: we were all full to the brim!

What’s your favourite Tapas dishes?

Have a lovely week x

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Today, I’ll be posting a recipe I use time and time again… always a good sign of a winning dish!

This soup could not be easier. The ingredients are so cheap; especially leeks as they’re in season.

I love leeks. I love it in pies, in sauces, and especially in this soup.

Irene and I call this soup Leekoto: kind of a mash-up between leek and potato (I know, our sanity is questionable).

You can blend this soup for a rich, thick soup. I like to keep mines chunky and texturised. It fels like more of a meal that way.

This soup is also freezable; just watch you don’t cut yout potato chunks too small, or they’ll disintegrate in the microwave (it’ll still taste nice, though!)

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients (Serves 4… easily halved/doubled/quadrupled if you must!)

2 leeks, sliced to your preferred chunkiness (I like mines quite thin)

1 onion, diced

3 large potatoes

4 chicken stock cubes

1.7 litres water

150ml cream/milk (optional)

First, I sauteed the onions and leeks on a low, making sure they didn’t brown, whilst I peeled my potatoes.

I chopped my potatoes into large chunks, around 2″ squared, then popped them into the pot:

I dissolved my stock cubes into 1.7litres boiled water, then poured into the pot and brought to the boil. I then simmered until the potatoes were ready (around 20 mins).

I don’t always do this, but on this occasion, I took the pot off the heat and added 150ml single cream. You can use 150ml milk if you like, or even none at all. I just think it gives it a nice richness.

And here it is, ready to devour.

I made this after work one night last week, when I was craving the comfort of a hot bowl of fresh, homemade soup, but didn’t want to spend ages grating and stirring and waiting.

This is a perfect, simple, comforting soup. It’s a lot healthier than it tastes, as well!

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Enjoy x

Happy Burns Day, everyone!

Did you all have a bit of haggis this evening? How about some lovely neeps & tatties?

I wanted to try something a bit different this year, since I’ve already posted the traditional haggis with clapshot.

Having recently eaten “crisp haggis balls” at the Red Leaf restaurant, I was determined to give them a go! To accompany them, I opted for a Neep & Tattie Rösti.

I used the following recipe for the Haggis Balls.

I used this recipe for the Neep & Tattie Rösti.

Here’s a little photo display of how I made my Burns Meal:

The uncooked haggis was very easy to mould into little balls 

My little production line… 

Popped into the fridge whilst I made my Neep & Tattie Rösti

 And the grand finale…

Served with some green beans, red cabbage and a dollop of wholegrain mustard!

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race! Aboon them a’ yet tak your place,   Painch, tripe, or thairm: Weel are ye wordy o’a grace   As lang’s my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill, Your hurdies like a distant hill, Your pin was help to mend a mill   In time o’need, While thro’ your pores the dews distil   Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight, An’ cut you up wi’ ready sleight, Trenching your gushing entrails bright,   Like ony ditch; And then, O what a glorious sight,   Warm-reekin’, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive: Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive, Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve   Are bent like drums; Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,   Bethankit! hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout Or olio that wad staw a sow, Or fricassee wad make her spew   Wi’ perfect sconner, Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view   On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash, As feckles as wither’d rash, His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash;   His nieve a nit; Thro’ blody flood or field to dash,   O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed, The trembling earth resounds his tread. Clap in his walie nieve a blade,   He’ll mak it whissle; An’ legs an’ arms, an’ hands will sned,   Like taps o’ trissle.

Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care, And dish them out their bill o’ fare, Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware   That jaups in luggies; But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer   Gie her a haggis!

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As much as I love my steak, chicken, pork (oh no… I’m drooling now), there was just a gap in my hunger; one that meat couldn’t fill!

Browsing through the BBC Good Food website, I came across this dish and liked the sound of it. Mushrooms give the illusion of meatiness, don’t they? This made me optimistic! I know mushrooms aren’t technically vegetables, but they do count towards your 5 a day!

After spotting a “Spinach & Mushroom Stroganoff” ready meal when shopping for ingredients, I was inspired to add spinach to this recipe. As much as I hate ready meals and their cheap cuts of crappy meat, they do have some good ideas. As a matter of fact, I’ve got a growing list of ready meals that I’d love to replicate one day.

I’m sure my version is much nicer than those of the salty, preservative-infested, frozen variety. So… close that freezer door and give this a try!

Although inspired by the BBC Good Food recipe, I’ve made quite a few changes; it’ll likely be beyond recognition to their recipe!

But still… mines tastes lovely

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 400g mushrooms, sliced
• 4 shallots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 200ml beef stock (you can use vegetable if you want a completely veggie version)
• 150ml soured cream
• 2 x tbsp paprika
• 2 x tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• A large handful of baby spinach
• A small handful of parsley, chopped (optional)

I got all my veggies and parsley ready, as this dish takes next to no time to cook!

I fried the shallots in a little olive oil for 5mins until they softened, then added the garlic and paprika

I added the mushrooms, sautéed for 5 minutes more, then added the stock and Worcestershire sauce

I simmered for a further 5mins, letting the liquid reduce slightly, then took it off the heat. I stirred in my soured cream and spinach and topped with parsley. The spinach will wilt with the heat of the dish.

I served with some wild rice and a wee pitta bread.

Not only was it super tasty, it was quick, cheap, nutritious and extremely easy to make!

The Worcestershire sauce and paprika give the dish a gorgeous flavour; I would imagine it to be too bland otherwise.

As gorgeous as it was, I’m looking forward to trying the beef stroganoff…

Enjoy :D x

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