This past week I have been fighting a head cold and the amount of ginger I have been putting in this juice has been increasing daily due to lack of sense of taste! Luckily I had tested this recipe a while back so I know how much ginger works but feel free to add more or less to your taste.
Some mornings you just need a warming, filling breakfast and this is my current go to porridge when I know I’m going to have a busy morning ahead of me. Yes it does take slightly longer than popping two slices of bread in the toaster but it is so worth it.
This porridge is a proper breakfast, a meal in itself. I actually have it for lunch or dinner sometimes too and there are many different toppings and flavour combinations you can try so if you were to have this porridge for breakfast everyday for a week you could have a different flavour each day! I’ve given some suggestions below, but use whatever you have in the cupboards or the flavours you like best, after all you’ll be the one enjoying it 🙂
I seem to be obsessing over noodles at the moment. I’m having them in a stir-fry, making noodle salads, I made this broth a few months ago and have been eating it every week now, it really is good and so quick to make.
You can use any vegetables although some may need parboiling first like carrots for instance. Even a few prawns would be nice thrown in too.
I find there is something very relaxing about making a risotto, the stirring and not rushing the dish is just such a nice feeling. Don’t get me wrong there are times when we don’t have time to stand at the hob and stir and keep a close eye on a risotto, that’s where an oven baked risotto comes in handy (I’ll be posting a recipe for one of those soon!) I do think though in this day and age everyone seems to be in a hurry and we are bombarded with information and facts from 24 hour news channels, social media updates etc that we don’t have a moment to just zone out, this is why I think I enjoy the cooking process of a risotto. Pour yourself a cup of tea or a glass of wine and just relax and enjoy cooking!
I originally was going to do a pumpkin risotto then I remembered I’m not overly keen on pumpkins however I LOVE butternut squash! You can roast the squash and rosemary ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container or you can roast it whilst prepping the risotto.
Whoever invented the slow cooker deserves a medal in my opinion! I love that you can just throw all your ingredients into the pot, switch it on, let the magic happen and a few hours later you get a tasty dish. It also helps that there is minimal washing up…always a winner in my book!
My go to snack is normally a handful of nuts. Any type of nut will do. In fact if you look in my fridge I have a shelf dedicated to nuts, I’ve containers of raw almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, macadamia and seeds too! If you look inside any of my handbags you’ll probably discover some nuts in a wee ziploc bag. Sometimes though I need to add some flavours to the nuts to liven them up a wee bit.
I’ve finally had to admit Summer is over and Autumn is here as I have had to put on my central heating. Every year I try to wait as long as I can in the hope that if I don’t put the heating on we will suddenly get a few more days of glorious warm sunshine.
I do love Autumn though, especially the cold crisp mornings and seeing the different colours as the leaves change. I also love cooking comforting food at this time of year, soups, stews and casseroles. I do still have salads but tend to do warm salads with grilled vegetables and lentils. This sausage and pepper dish is perfect for a cold evening.
I know it has been so long since I have posted a recipe that you may have thought I’d given up the blog. Fear not, I was just taking a wee break as my Dad came over to visit me for a few weeks and as I only see him once a year we had lots of catching up to do. However, I did get a chance to have him test a few recipes I’ve been developing and I’m pleased to say all were successful, so keep a look out for the new recipes coming soon!
My friend came round the other evening for a catch up and brought some shop-bought popcorn with her. It was nice but when I read the ingredients list I was quite shocked that it seemed so long. I used to make stove top popcorn quite a bit and remembered how good it was so off I went to the shop to get some corn kernels and experimented with different flavours.
I’ve noticed since I’m getting older my taste buds are changing. I was never one to have a lot of spice in my food, I was the girl who always ordered a korma and had yoghurt on the side to stir through it, but now I’m loving all different spices in my dishes and chillies too. I’m not at the point of having too much chilli that I cannot taste the food (I really don’t see the point in that as food is to be enjoyed) but I’m loving a little heat. I also disliked mushrooms for years, I couldn’t stand the smell, sight or taste of them, it wasn’t until I was in my twenties at a dinner party and presented with a mushroom starter which I forced my self to eat out of politeness then….BAM I actually realised I liked them!
Four Candles Kitchen 