…and you’ll want to make them too
With the new kitchen up and running (somewhat – will the nibble list ever end?!), I’ve been into cooking/baking overdrive. If I’m not working, then I’m on this island rustling up dinner or trying a new recipe I saw on TikTok 10 seconds earlier. It’s honestly my favorite hobby and to be able to do it in our dream space is just – chicken soup for the soul. Literally. Does Ralph sit on the counter and stick his fingers in everything? Of coursealthough this cookbook* it’s great for little ones who want to get involved. But when he’s distracted and I can actually get down to business, that’s what I do…
Minimalist Baker’s Pesto Veggie Burgers with Balsamic Aioli. We recently had friends over for dinner to debut the new kitchen and not only was it EXTREMELY exciting to sit at a table with our nearest and dearest and not have takeout in our laps. it was so fun to see the kitchen in action for the first time. The island! The lighting! The whole shebang. Seeing that there were quite a few dietary needs to cover, these were perfect for everyone and were full of flavor and easily served with potato wedges and a side salad (we did the Minimalist Baker Lemony White Bean Quinoa Salad and it was delicious). Also, don’t skimp on the aioli – it *might* be the best part.
Carole Food’s Butter Bean Curry. I finally managed to add all the recipes I had saved Tik Tok in mine Sense template and this jumped out at me as the first one we should build. Just proper comfort food, you know? Someone messaged me to say they had made it an extra spinach which I think would be a great addition. It’s also a great store cupboard staple as we already had everything we needed apart from the double cream – so it’s great to make if you’re trying to downsize your food store. We ate it with rice and naan and the three of us tucked in.
The Lean Machine Cod Packets. Mark had been talking for weeks about this recipe for fish parcels we were making and I couldn’t remember for myself which cookbook it was from. Luckily for me I document my life online, so after a quick Google I found a post from 2016 detailing my top five cookbooks and saying this was one of my favorite recipes. WHAT A TURN! We made it with broccoli and it was amazing. Such a quick and good way to get some fish into your diet. I can see doing this once a week (again!).
Alison Roman’s Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake. The recipe is so good I made it twice. I had bookmarked recipes in Alison’s new book to make this summer and this was the first one I tried and DAMN I just had to make it again. I love how easy it is – but also how enjoyable it looks at the same time. The ‘perfect summer dessert/the rustle of why your mates are coming over for an afternoon cake’. I stuck a candle inside and gave it to a friend for her birthday because it’s so good.
Anna Edit’s Super Gooey Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies. So I have to add this right?! I hadn’t been able to make my cookies for almost a year while the kitchen renovations took place, as our temporary oven was hotter than the actual sun and burned every batch I tried to make no matter what I did. So in the end I just gave up and resigned myself to making them once we moved back into the new space. Were these cookies the first thing I baked when the new kitchen was ready?! ABSOLUTELY. Do Landscapers Love Them? They do, bless them. Forever a crowd pleaser and something I will *always* have in the freezer ready to go.
