tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16094960080330887042024-02-19T12:35:57.277+00:00adventures of an accidental cookThe Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-51289954966337657892016-07-02T22:51:00.001+01:002016-07-02T22:51:54.462+01:00This blog is moving to a new home...It's a bittersweet day today. After over 4 years of The Adventures of an Accidental Cook I've decided it's time to move on...to bigger and better places. I've finally taken the plunge and bought a domain name. It feels like a big commitment, like getting married or buying a house. But I feel like I've tested the water enough now to know that I love food writing and this is what I want to do. I'd love it to lead to more than a blog, but only time will provide me with the answer to that. In the meantime all I can do is continue to share with you my cooking adventures, ideas, recipes and love for all things food!<br />
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The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-56022460874518348102016-06-07T22:26:00.001+01:002016-06-08T22:20:30.738+01:00If at first you don't succeed...<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSD6Vxn7zU1r6ZNIuPO8Wx0kz4zHma-Fm81crPqL1DeCqdmCfpfu4qShsnr5mwiRTA9YfgB_8rQg5t9gSWzdJMrbi4oSE8jySHJ39-NoUtzKSmovOR75hykYz9kJg3QVJWb-cWlJv8S0bC/s640/blogger-image--1263188674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSD6Vxn7zU1r6ZNIuPO8Wx0kz4zHma-Fm81crPqL1DeCqdmCfpfu4qShsnr5mwiRTA9YfgB_8rQg5t9gSWzdJMrbi4oSE8jySHJ39-NoUtzKSmovOR75hykYz9kJg3QVJWb-cWlJv8S0bC/s640/blogger-image--1263188674.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I tend to only write a post when I perfect a dish, but actually sometimes I think it's nice to blog anyway, ultimately it's about the journey not just the destination. If you don't make mistakes how will you ever grow and learn. That's as true for cooking as it is for every walk of life, but perhaps that's too deep for a food blog! </span></div><div><br></div><div>Sorry, I digress, so today I made a healthy fruit crumble. I mainly did it for the kids. Normally when I see things that say gluten free, refined sugar free or dairy free I just think #boring (Note: I am living my life through hashtags at the moment, I think they add a sense of occasion)! But for the little ones I try to control the two obvious food enemies - sugar and salt. It's salt that I am particularly paranoid about. Children's kidneys are just too small to process vast quantities of it. Sugar is trickier. I'm not that panicked about obesity just yet. We eat well most the time and I try to get some exercise into our daily routine. And I think if you ban something they just want it more. Forbidden things are always more desirable, another trend that runs through most walks of life! But I do worry about cavities. </div><div><br></div><div>I had to have a filling a few weeks ago. My first one in 10 years. I was gutted. I don't want my children to go through that any time soon. And the only way to prevent it is good brushing and avoiding things that cause tooth decay, namely sugar. Now this is hard. Sugar is everywhere, even in healthy options such as fruits. But it's the refined/added sugar that's lethal. Avoiding sugar makes finding interesting desserts a bit of a challenge. Hence my healthy fruit crumble. No added sugar and a healthy oat and almond topping. The verdict was a mixed bag. SG is too small to have much of an opinion. He just gave me his winning smile after every mouthful. CM made a face like she was sucking lemons and asked to get down from the table after two bites. N loved it. I think it could use some improvements. Maybe sweeter fruits. Perhaps a natural sugar source (honey or maple syrup) mixed with the oat topping to provide a more crunchy granola consistency. I will try it again one day and let you know how it goes. This recipe is work in progress. </div><div><br></div><div><b>Recipe</b></div><div><b> </b></div><div><b>Ingredients </b></div><div>Apple - peeled, cored and cut into cubes </div><div>Frozen mixed<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> berries </span></div><div>Cinnamon </div><div>Nutmeg </div><div>Water </div><div>Porridge oats </div><div>Butter</div><div>Crushed flaked almonds </div><div>Vanilla powder </div><div><br></div><div><b>Method </b></div><div>- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees fan </div><div>- Put <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">the apple, berries, cinnamon, nutmeg and a tablespoon of water into a saucepan and stew over a low heat until the apples become soft and it forms a jam like consistency </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- in a separate bowl mix the porridge oats, butter, almonds and vanilla powder until everything is coated in butter and starts to stick together </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- transfer the fruit mixture into a greased oven proof dish </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- top with the oat mixture </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- bake for 30 mins </span></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-1401256303138706752016-05-17T20:57:00.001+01:002016-05-17T22:36:42.298+01:00Start your day right!<span style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I like cake! There I said it. But it doesn't stop there. I also like chocolate, and biscuits, and carbs and crisps. It's about time I came to terms with it. I'd love to be one of those people (and I do know a few) that just 'don't really like bread or potatoes' or anything unhealthy. Well good for them for being so virtuous, or for lying to themselves, but sadly I'm not one of them. But it's ok to like these things, it's just about willpower and moderation. Sadly that's been the missing link these days. I haven't been great with balancing my diet. I have some pretty valid excuses, I get about 5 hours sleep a night, and that's often not even in one stretch, and with 2 young children food is generally of the 'grab and go' variety. But these are just excuses. Ultimately no one cares if I eat bad stuff except me. Yes I look ok and my clothes fit fine but I know I could do better and I plan to start. And what better place to start than breakfast, after all it is the most important meal of the day! </span><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'd really love to start my day with eggs on toast. And actually if you poach the egg and use granary</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> bread it's quite a healthy breakfast. But it's not always practical so like most people I often have to settle for cereal. Full-of-sugar, hungry-again-after-an-hour cereal! But we all know that oats are great for you and apparently fill you up for longer. The problem is there's no way I can cook porridge on a hob while trying to feed two kids. So granola it is, but have you ever seen how much sugar there is in granola? Even in the apparently 'no added sugar' ones I found 18g of sugar in 50g portion! I know it's from dried fruit but that's a third of the bowl full of sugar. Following a recommendation from a friend I have found a great low sugar granola (Lizi's) with 3g of sugar in a 50g portion (although I'm sure my portion sizes also need reviewing)! But it does means I can treat myself to a tablespoon of fruit yoghurt and some fresh fruit and make a yummy but not too sinful breakfast. </span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">But now for my amazing breakfast discovery. Ok for some of you hipsters this will be old news but I often cotton on to things a bit late. Yes it's overnight oats. I wish I had known you could make delicious creamy porridge oats without cooking them. It takes me less than 5 mins the evening before, I then get to dream about them all night and then devour them the next morning. Now that is a great start to the day! </span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Overnight Oats </b></div><div style="text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-TnmBGoKkHk0UP6OVqW3yfr5t5fnT9YlGyYDxn4wQN_xc_pYFioh42qV9qUEk2vIkUcb8jaGa44P26rpajpJt9s3FIVFWyzyc1IwRMY4TKZg6zZleQ6PcRA5mMoRdVSk9Eupz_vFNSL-/s640/blogger-image--614833571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-TnmBGoKkHk0UP6OVqW3yfr5t5fnT9YlGyYDxn4wQN_xc_pYFioh42qV9qUEk2vIkUcb8jaGa44P26rpajpJt9s3FIVFWyzyc1IwRMY4TKZg6zZleQ6PcRA5mMoRdVSk9Eupz_vFNSL-/s640/blogger-image--614833571.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>- place 7 tablespoons of porridge oats in a bowl, jar or container</div><div>- pour over approx 100ml milk (regular milk or specialist milk such as almond or coconut) to cover the oats completely </div><div>- add goji berries and seeds (e.g. flax, linseed, sunflower seeds etc) as required </div><div>- add 1-2 tables spoons plain or flavoured yoghurt </div><div>- top with fresh fruit e.g blueberries, banana, strawberries etc </div><div>- leave in the fridge for 2 hours but preferably overnight </div><div>- stir and enjoy! </div><div><br></div><div>Other great toppings are nuts, coconut chips, peanut butter, raisins or dried fruit and chocolate shavings </div><div><br></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-63290372332195692322016-04-10T13:36:00.001+01:002016-04-10T21:38:54.717+01:00These days it's all about shortcuts.How did I not know about soffritto mix before now. For years I have sweated blood and tears (OK blatant exaggeration) to finely chop onion, celery and carrots to make the base for my bolognese or casseroles, when all this time I could have got waitrose to do it for me! Of course it's more expensive. I think almost all shortcuts are, but that's the price you pay for convenience. The key is working out whether the time and effort you save justifies the additional cost, for you. And it's those last 2 words that are key. Everyone's priorities are different and a corner I feel comfortable cutting someone else may not. But after having SG I realised 2 young children = no time for me. So now I proudly say, my name is mummy (I have no name anymore) and I cut corners! <div><br></div><div>N has always said to me it's better to do an 80% job than not do it. I used to struggle with this. If I couldn't clean my whole bathroom properly, by moving all the products and using all my fancy cleaning supplies, I would wait. If I did that now we would be living in squalor! So I have lowered my standards and actually my house is probably cleaner. I guess I should have listened to N in the first place (don't tell him that though!). </div><div><br></div><div>So what are my favourite shortcuts? Well Dettol wipes are my new best friend. I buy them on offer and clean everything with them (except the kids)! They adorn every single room in my house. And my new favourite hack (I could talk about that slightly strange word for a whole post, but basically it means clever solutions for tricky problems) is rubbing a lemon on limescale. I recently bought a book of the memoirs of a 1930s housemaid (I am having Downton withdrawal symptoms) and this was one of her insightful tips. Before I throw a used lemon away I find a bit of limescale, and trust me there is plenty, rub it over it, and rinse later. </div><div><br></div><div>My favourite beauty shortcut is using coconut oil to remove my makeup, it doubles as an amazing moisturiser, thereby killing two birds with one stone. And for cooking there's nothing better than my freezer. Frozen onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, herbs and now soffritto. Definitely more expensive but when you're in a hurry to cook a decent fresh meal they can shave off crucial minutes. </div><div><br></div><div>So what are your favourite shortcuts (and hacks). I'd love to hear them. </div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-86202415409706106962016-02-19T20:31:00.001+00:002016-02-22T17:10:23.936+00:00Recipe Kit RevolutionI'm in a food funk! It's like a rut but worse. Not only do I not know what to cook for dinner, I also don't know what to write about. Most of it's just lack of time. Lack of time to shop, to cook and even just to think. But that's just what life is like these days. Kids or not, life is busy and frantic. Which is why I thought I'd try out this new craze of recipe kits. <div><br></div><div>There's quite a few out there so it's hard to know which to go for. My initial thought was to try Gusto as I got a voucher for £25 off, but they were pipped to the post by Hello Fresh who sent me a completely free box via a recommend a friend deal. Free meals, you'd be crazy to say no. Although the catch is you have to sign up with credit card details and if you don't want to continue you have to remember to cancel your subscription. Neither of those two scenarios is easy for someone who finds she doesn't even have time to think, but never-the-less Thursday morning came and a box containing 3 meals for 2 people arrived. Beautifully packed, with all the ingredients segregated according to their use and storage instructions, I opened the box and my heart dropped. No don't worry, there wasn't anything amiss, except of course my unrealistic expectations. I'm not sure why I thought I'd open the box and find all the ingredients weighed, cleaned and prepped ready to throw together and make an exquisite meal. But they were just raw ingredients. A whole potato, garlic cloves with their peel on and green peppers with with seeds in. The outrage! Ok, I know I sound like the height of laziness, but I'd stupidly started to envision a life of luxury! But once I got over the shock of having to use a peeler and a knife the excitement of trying out a new recipe kicked in. I had a a choice of three, but the people at Hello Fresh cleverly put a sticker on the recipe to tell you how long the ingredients will keep for. So not only is the shopping done for you, so is the meal planning. I was recommended to make the Five Spiced Chicken with Bok Choi first. I throughly enjoyed cooking it and I definitely enjoyed eating it. The minestrone soup was pretty amazing too. Sadly the Prawn and Serrano Linguine didn't go down as well. No fault of the recipe of course, it's just that N doesn't like things with cream, except for chocolate eclairs of course! </div><div><br></div><div>Hello Fresh Five Spiced Chicken with Bok Choi</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUhYJLFE0oB7QEZjFwdiH8Obfux-PL8y-VtVUy11r-aNveNrQGX5m_wWT2KbimPtheTMj3L2SwitQoC1tuJHLmTRv_v-2mC6BO6UK077X9xaDM7CxvpDAQ8tnCCydvy4jP2Qae7rWVPSO/s640/blogger-image-2121666153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUhYJLFE0oB7QEZjFwdiH8Obfux-PL8y-VtVUy11r-aNveNrQGX5m_wWT2KbimPtheTMj3L2SwitQoC1tuJHLmTRv_v-2mC6BO6UK077X9xaDM7CxvpDAQ8tnCCydvy4jP2Qae7rWVPSO/s640/blogger-image-2121666153.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>For recipe see:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.hellofresh.co.uk/recipe/detail/54ad393c6ced6eca2a8b456d/hellofresh-five-spiced-chicken-with-bok-choi-swap/download/">https://www.hellofresh.co.uk/recipe/detail/54ad393c6ced6eca2a8b456d/hellofresh-five-spiced-chicken-with-bok-choi-swap/download/</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-47552134042170818122015-12-20T21:50:00.001+00:002015-12-20T22:29:23.553+00:00It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...5 more sleeps till Christmas! I'm not quite sure how that happened but I for one am very excited. I've always loved Christmas but now that CM is old enough to understand it, it's even more fun. The tree's up and looking rather festive with its new gold and berry coloured baubles, although N and CM have already eaten all the chocolate decorations! <div><br></div><div>So the start of my Christmas cooking journey started today with a Christmas biscuit baking session with CM. I was inspired by an excellent children's baking workshop we went to last weekend run by West London Kiddy Cook teacher Bernadette Ryder. Kiddy Cook is a fantastic franchise that runs cooking and baking workshops for children of all ages. I am a big fan of cooking with children and apart from hoping to pass on my love of cooking to CM I also think it is amazing way to help a child's development. Just in the simple act of baking you can improve motor skills, increase concentration, teach counting and practice colours. I bake with CM regularly but it was fun to go to a professional workshop as it also taught me how to cook with a toddler. I always wonder if I am giving her enough to do or maybe expecting too much from her. Bernadette's Christmas Cookery Workshop was fantastic. She had everything planned and tailored to capture the attention of the little ones, from a sing and dance session at the beginning, a doll called Katy Custard (that CM still talks about), picture cards to help visual recognition and appropriate equipment for young children. We made gingerbread people and chocolate truffles. Delicious. Sorry there are no photos, the family ate them all too quickly! But I will definitely be making the truffles again and I couldn't wait to make some Christmas Spiced biscuits today! </div><div><br></div><div>And so to get into the Christmas spirit we <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">sang Christmas songs and baked. Although the only song CM knows is jingle bells so we soon gave up and put the radio on. But it definitely got me in the mood for our trip to see Santa this afternoon. CM asked Santa to buy her 'a present'. That makes it pretty easy for mummy. But she did tell Santa that SG wants an orange car. I guess I better do some last minute shopping! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">For more information on children's cooking classes visit www.kiddycook.co.uk </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Spiced Christmas Biscuits </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">(Makes approximately 24) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0yiYPiyL7RD70twoPRvUHGwmtFuc10-ZJcgGK1ObTiC0qYMB6GAo9cKqJGyZw37X59r1FHKdgx4pml5FbPHnGhy4kDzPV_ikc4XIJHzyG6ishsBPCZJebDYfa0j9OYC-CykDz8Xz717S/s640/blogger-image-1705319534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0yiYPiyL7RD70twoPRvUHGwmtFuc10-ZJcgGK1ObTiC0qYMB6GAo9cKqJGyZw37X59r1FHKdgx4pml5FbPHnGhy4kDzPV_ikc4XIJHzyG6ishsBPCZJebDYfa0j9OYC-CykDz8Xz717S/s640/blogger-image-1705319534.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 350g plain flour</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 125g demarara sugar</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 100g butter</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 2 eggs</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 4 tbs golden syrup</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 1 tsp ground ginger</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 1/2 tsp all spice </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Method </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- heat the oven to 200C/180F </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- in a large bowl mix together the flour, butter, ground spices and bicarbonate of soda with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- in a separate bowl beat together the eggs, sugar and syrup </span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">- add to the dry mix and work together to form a pastry. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">- if you have time, cover the bowl and put in the fridge for 30 mins to make it easier to work with </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">- roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut into Christmassy shapes </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">- place the shapes onto a greased baking tray approx 2cm apart so they have room to spread when they bake </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">- bake for 15 mins until golden </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">- cool on a wire rack </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">- decorate if your toddler has the patience! </font></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-30212387010350711412015-10-22T20:57:00.001+01:002015-10-22T21:19:58.491+01:00Use-it-all-up minestrone soupMy supermarket delivery comes tomorrow which means today was my clear-out-the-fridge day. I have a few recipes that help me use up my odds and ends - stir fries, risottos or casseroles are my classics. But as I didn't have any 'meaty' stuff like chicken or prawns in the fridge, today I decided to make a minestrone soup. Of course it you have some bacon that would taste great but it tastes just as<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> good without. There's no formal recipe. Fry some onion and garlic, add a couple of chopped tomatoes, throw in whatever veggies you have at home - I used carrots, broccoli, courgette, celery and leek - add a small tin of beans (butter beans are great, but kidney beans work well too), a couple of handfuls of pasta or broken up spaghetti and a tablespoon of tomato purée. Give it a good stir and add some vegetable stock, a bouquet garni and some herbs (dry, fresh or frozen). Bring it to the boil and simmer for 15 mins. Serve with a crusty baguette. Or if you've got some bread going a bit stale (hard is fine but no mould please!) cut it up and fry it to make croutons. Perfect for a dark October evening. </span><div><br></div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLxmTQjWUMRXHpt2DRraEnDvupVIIhvILaRZwttR2oDeCghvvGEYmG0b6Tnx2i0h2mBDfSRFNEXSeJa0DJHa_zaTdAYtum1ExVwDIzP2t0fNTGR0KCIY_nTy_n-y2qOpMNEl9nF81jifg/s640/blogger-image--261980560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLxmTQjWUMRXHpt2DRraEnDvupVIIhvILaRZwttR2oDeCghvvGEYmG0b6Tnx2i0h2mBDfSRFNEXSeJa0DJHa_zaTdAYtum1ExVwDIzP2t0fNTGR0KCIY_nTy_n-y2qOpMNEl9nF81jifg/s640/blogger-image--261980560.jpg"></a></div></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-66407808438367177202015-10-16T09:22:00.001+01:002015-10-16T22:00:42.264+01:00COOK!I haven't had a ready meal in years. They conjure up memories of my student days. The sound of a fork piercing the plastic, the ping of the microwave, the steam when you peel back the film...processed dinner in a black plastic container. Yum! Don't worry I know I'm exaggerating, things have improved a lot since the ready meals of the 90's and I'm not claiming to be completely virtuous by any means. I always have a pizza or a pie in the freezer and I use pre-prepared vegetables more often than I can justify. But still, it was with slight trepidation I entered the COOK shop the other day. <div><br></div><div>I happened to stumble across a branch while I was out on one of my escapades with SG. My curiosity got the better of me. COOK claims to make 'home-cooked' ready meals, made in their kitchens in Kent and frozen within one hour of production. The range was amazing. Indian, Chinese, Italian, British, Thai, you name it. Starters, main course and desserts. Servings for one person, two people, families of four, dinner parties and a special childrens range with no added sugar or salt. There was definitely something for everybody. I had only intended to window shop but I couldn't resist. So last night we had pork and beef meatballs in tomato sauce. I made the rice myself and I couldn't resist whipping up a side of garlic spinach, as a meal without veggies always feels incomplete to me. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-egBQlZYWPQM61bHefYZHqADpT-fVmT98TZNUdyPhwXMKw8hQYpa41hjP13zQ4-Hws6lejcinqCqZwuhwYTHBDPR9kaUPWGWYFlsuUe-aD8BCtXwhQTqcg6uK6h2upehd_etnxherErO/s640/blogger-image--1141744760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-egBQlZYWPQM61bHefYZHqADpT-fVmT98TZNUdyPhwXMKw8hQYpa41hjP13zQ4-Hws6lejcinqCqZwuhwYTHBDPR9kaUPWGWYFlsuUe-aD8BCtXwhQTqcg6uK6h2upehd_etnxherErO/s640/blogger-image--1141744760.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>The end result was good but it also reminded me why I love to cook. By cooking yourself you can make dishes exactly the way you love them. COOK's Meatballs in a Rustic Tomato<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> Sauce were perfectly good. The portion was generous for 2 people, the meatballs good quality and it really did feel home-cooked. But for me the sundried tomatoes made the sauce a bit too sweet and the large meatballs gave the dish a dense meaty taste. In my opinion smaller meatballs would have given a better sauce to meat ratio. But the fact it gave me a night off cooking made the compromises worthwhile. I may not buy this dish again but I will definitely be going back to COOK to try something else. In fact I have a one person portion of Chicken Pad Thai waiting in the freezer. All I need now is for N to make other plans...</span></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-60975108905815232912015-10-08T11:24:00.001+01:002015-10-08T11:47:41.581+01:00Therapeutic Chocolate TartSaturday morning was stressful. Nothing serious of course, just the normal chaos you get when you have young children. Toddler tantrums over clothes and colour of breakfast bowls are becoming the norm for me now but for some reason Saturday pushed me a little too far. CM and I ended up in a rut where we just spent the whole morning rubbing each other up the wrong way. I needed something to break the cycle and help me de-stress. I had to bake. I've never really thought about it before but there is something about cooking, in particular baking, which I find therapeutic. I think most people have something that helps them release the tension of the day and gives them time and space to clear their head. A fried mentioned this week that cleaning is her therapy, I think that's probably quite a common one. A more unusual one I heard recently was from someone who had bought a connect-the-dots book from an art gallery which allows you to recreate famous paintings. She said it helped her claer the muddle of thoughts in her head. I think this latest fad of colouring books for grown ups is along this same line. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">N's therapy is playing the drums (or playing really pointless computer games on his iPad)! So what is it about baking? For me it's the mindfulness of following a recipe and the precision involved with weighing and measuring. It reminds me of my A Level Chemistry, although I'm not sure I found that particularly therapeutic at the time! I also love that you can create something so beautiful and delicious from just basic raw ingredients. It gives me a real sense if achievement. But I don't have time to bake I hear you say. Me neither, which is why I cheated and bought a ready made pastry case! But that's not baking then I hear you say. Who cares is my response to that. I got to a chance to organise my thoughts and eat a delicious desert. It's a win win! And to call a truce with CM I let her decorate it! </span><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Cheat's Chocolate Tart</b> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">(Prep time 20 mins | setting time 2 hours) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2a8xVnRRjpi94FIuBSGLDsFRtWOBpbN4sOuRl4fITvCHxRVdrqwkg8CHcbU51Vg-w2ajPXX66eoNF6KMEnOP9CYcVuMMxmw-QToWDHenYA1kQlV4HSQM63rrxpqy9Odgbn3ZTvZNcMpZ/s640/blogger-image--1399574362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2a8xVnRRjpi94FIuBSGLDsFRtWOBpbN4sOuRl4fITvCHxRVdrqwkg8CHcbU51Vg-w2ajPXX66eoNF6KMEnOP9CYcVuMMxmw-QToWDHenYA1kQlV4HSQM63rrxpqy9Odgbn3ZTvZNcMpZ/s640/blogger-image--1399574362.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></div><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">300 ml double cream</span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2 tsp caster sugar</span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A pinch of fine sea salt</span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">50 g unsalted butter - cubed</span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">200 g plain chocolate (50% cocoa) - broken into small pieces </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">50 ml milk</span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;">Waitrose sweet pastry case</li><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b>Method</b></span><div><span style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><br></b></span></div><div><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- Put the cream, sugar and salt in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove as soon as the mixture starts to boils up.</span></span></div><div><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- Once off the heat, add the butter and chocolate and stir well until it is blended<br style="box-sizing: border-box;">- Wait a few movements and then stir in the milk until it is shiny</span></span></div><div><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- Pour into the tart shell and leave at room temperature for 1 hour to set and then in the fridge for a further hour <span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- Top with fresh raspberries, chocolate sprinkles or anything that takes your fancy</span></span></div><div><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- Serve with cream or ice cream <br></span></span><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-17591119833459013482015-09-30T21:57:00.001+01:002015-10-01T22:09:31.280+01:00Mamma's Homemade Chicken KarahiAlthough I've been brought up on Indian<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> food I rarely make it. For starters it's not N's favourite but also I never thought I could make it as well as my mum so I never bothered. But every few weeks or so I get a random urge to cook something fragrant and full of spice. Or sometimes I am nudged into it as the case was last week! I had just defrosted a couple of chicken breast fillets with a view to making a casserole or a risotto but that very same morning my mum-in-law dropped round some yummy daal (lentils) that she had made. My two choices were to waste the chicken or cook something that went with daal. I normally make tandoori chicken but I had defrosted breast pieces and was worried it would taste dry if it was oven cooked. A dish with gravy would be better. I happened to drop my dilemma into conversation with my mum and she gave me the inspiration I needed. The recipe below is hers, although if you ever asked her she would say she never cooks to recipes she just does what works! When I was growing up my mum used to tell me cooking was easy. I never believed her but I think she was right. Anyone can cook....but it helps to have a good teacher. Thank you mum! </span><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Chicken Karahi</b> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">(Serves 2 | total prep and cooking time 30-40 mins plus marinating time) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX82oPbAUZTRKDPdOK73cWYy6PZwjQyJLDI_cY1ZC9WdFwvEpxZUvoOA3RwC5TlwW_m6PYy7VdJ6-VlGfBQ0n4l4bxlkX_TyQZf6UrJsn-41l-0_tPdf3I6cNuv720tUadBgXGajLl2sa/s640/blogger-image-1203840469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX82oPbAUZTRKDPdOK73cWYy6PZwjQyJLDI_cY1ZC9WdFwvEpxZUvoOA3RwC5TlwW_m6PYy7VdJ6-VlGfBQ0n4l4bxlkX_TyQZf6UrJsn-41l-0_tPdf3I6cNuv720tUadBgXGajLl2sa/s640/blogger-image-1203840469.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 2 chicken breasts (or equivalent thighs) cut into 1-inch pieces</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- marinade (2 tbs yoghurt, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, pinch garam masala, 1/2 tsp tumeric, pinch salt)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 1 small onion - very finely chopped</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 3-4 cloves of garlic - finely chopped</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 1-2 inch piece of ginger - finely chopped </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- teaspoon finely chopped chilli (optional) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- cumin seeds (approx 1 heaped teaspoon) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- coriander powder (1 teaspoon)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- cumin powder (1 teaspoon) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- tumeric (1/2 teaspoon) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 3 tomatoes - chopped </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 1 tablespoon tomato purée</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- salt to taste </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- water </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Method </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- mix the marinade in a large bowl and stir in the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours but overnight is better</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- heat a large frying pan and place the chicken and all the marinade in it. Fry it until the marinade dries out and the chicken starts to colour. Set aside </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- heat some oil in a saucepan or sauté pan and add the cumin seeds. Fry until they start to colour</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- fry the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli (to make sure they are finely chopped and made into a paste consistency you can do this in a food processor)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- add the dry spices</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- add the tomatoes and tomato purée and stir well </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- add the chicken and stir well </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- add coriander, salt and pour in a little bit if water</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- cover and cook for 20-30 mins until the chicken is cooked. Add more water if it dries out </span></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-32270101363097784412015-09-21T21:20:00.001+01:002015-09-24T08:34:49.211+01:00Autumnal Lamb Ragu with Papardelle PastaI can't believe summer has gone. Did we have one this year, I'm not sure I remember. Or at least I definitely didn't make the most of it. I remember a few baking hot days when I was heavily pregnant. They were torture. And I remember some hot days when I was cooped up indoors to nervous to go out in the heat with a newborn. They were frustrating. But the weather seems to have become dreary ever so sudden. One minute I had painted toenails and strappy sandals and now I have a chest infection and a hooded anorak. Oh hang on, painted toenails, that must have been 3 years ago before I had children! But the hacking cough is definitely not an exaggeration, we all have it thanks to some nursery germs CM brought home! <div><br></div><div>The thing that made me realise it was autumn was when I noticed spiky green balls all over my driveway. Yes you've got it in one, it's conker time! CM has been having a whale of a time jumping on conkers. I have to plan an extra 20 minutes every time I need to go anywhere because the minute I open the front door she runs out shouting 'flatten it, flatten it!', something I guess I must have said when I introduced her to the art of conker collecting. Just like she runs around flapping her arms and saying 'kill it, kill it!' every time she sees a spider or an insect! Another phrase she must have learnt from me! </div><div><br></div><div>Collecting conkers is one of the most vivid memories from my childhood. My journey home from school included walking through a very long avenue if horse chestnut trees. Every day in conker season I used to rummage around finding the biggest, shiniest conkers and putting them in my pockets for safe keeping whilst my childminder stood patiently watching and waiting. She never once tried to hurry me or tell me I had enough even though it was approaching tea time and my coat pockets were starting to scrape the ground. It's one of those special memories you hope will stay with you forever. </div><div><br></div><div>But autumn also allows me to eat my favourite meals. Tasty, hearty comfort foods. My cooking is not particularly seasonal but I do follow a few patterns. Apart from the odd spring lamb casserole I rarely cook red meat in summer. But I do love lamb. We try not to eat red meat too often for health reasons but I think as long as it is lean meat once a week is fine. This recipe is delicious. A slight twist on a classic bolognese with thick ribbons of pasta and a sauce laced with the last of the summer rosemary and mint from our garden. </div><div><br></div><div>And while it is simmering it gives me a chance to take CM out for some more conker collecting. I only wish I was patient as my childminder when CM asks for the millionth time</div><div>CM: "What's dat mummy?"</div><div>Me: "It's a conker darling"</div><div>CM: "Why?"</div><div>Me: "Because it has fallen from a horse chestnut tree"</div><div>CM: "Why?" </div><div>Me: "Because it's autumn"</div><div>CM: "Why?"</div><div>Me: "Because. It. Just. Is!"</div><div><br></div><div><b>Lamb Ragu with Papardelle Pasta </b></div><div>(Serves 2-3 | total prep and cooking time minimum 1 hour) </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOwKfDoLVzNFEknNVTAJ-IsFA0w3cS2pWY7Aw59i4NmT3cMMUYn7BU7x2a33dxcs4iB7wXJLDbsgIzOhVqzrCZFhS5TQTrmiyVgnuET40ohOktrTolzrukFAiUGtCF8obrOmFXkA61Ymv/s640/blogger-image--346279936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOwKfDoLVzNFEknNVTAJ-IsFA0w3cS2pWY7Aw59i4NmT3cMMUYn7BU7x2a33dxcs4iB7wXJLDbsgIzOhVqzrCZFhS5TQTrmiyVgnuET40ohOktrTolzrukFAiUGtCF8obrOmFXkA61Ymv/s640/blogger-image--346279936.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><b>Ingredients</b></div><div>- 1 onion - diced</div><div>- 3 cloves of garlic - finely chopped </div><div>- 1 carrot - diced</div><div>- 2 sticks of celery - finely sliced </div><div>- 8-10 mushrooms - sliced </div><div>- 400g lamb mince</div><div>- 1 lamb stock cube dissolved in 200 ml of water </div><div>- tablespoon chopped mint</div><div>- 1 sprig of rosemary - chopped </div><div>- 120-150g dried Papardelle pasta </div><div>- olive oil</div><div><br></div><div><b>Method </b></div><div>- cook pasta according to packet instructions </div><div>- brown the mince in a frying pan, draining off the excess fat </div><div>- heat the olive oil in another large frying pan or sauté pan </div><div>- fry the onions for a few mins until softened</div><div>- add the garlic, carrots and celery and stir for a few minutes </div><div>- add the mushrooms and stir for a few minutes</div><div>- add the browned mince and mix well </div><div>- add the herbs and stock and stir </div><div>- simmer for a minimum of 40 minutes, but the longer the better. Keep adding water if it starts to dry out</div><div>- add the drained pasta </div><div><b><br></b></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-15894579795553844172015-09-17T09:56:00.001+01:002015-09-17T09:56:57.262+01:00Chocolate cake with a differenceYesterday I made a special chocolate cake. And no before you ask it wasn't an Amsterdam-style special chocolate cake!<div><br></div><div>I've never been a big baker, I dabble in the odd biscuit or muffin but that's about the extent of it. But cake are big at the moment. Having young children means you spend a lot of weekends shuffling from one birthday party to the next. At the last two parties the cakes were both homemade and spectacular. One was a delightful chocolate cake with a Frozen theme (I've still not seen that so someone please tell me what the fuss is all about!) and the other was a light jam filled sponge in the shape of Frireman Sam's fire engine! They were both amazing and I can only imagine how long they took to make. But rather than being inspired by the Great British Bake Off I was inspired by watching Eat Well for Less with Greg of the John and Greg franchise and some bloke named Chris whom I've never heard of. They followed a family from Birmingham on their weekly shop in order to try and change their eating habits to both save them some money and make them healthier. Now please tell me that it was exaggerated for TV because otherwise I have serious concerns about any family that buys over 40 bags of crisps on a weekly shop. Where would you store them for a start! So one of the recipes they showed them how to make was a chocolate and beetroot cake made without eggs or butter. The crisp-addict family seemed to like it so I thought I'd give it a go. I had no particular reason to make an eggless cake as I eat eggs like they are going out if fashion but curiosity got the better of me and I wondered what a cake bound with yoghurt would taste like. <div><br></div><div>So here it is. My magical chocolate cake. I got the recipe from the BBC Good Food website but as usual made some Accidental Cook changes. I reduced the sugar from 175g to 125g and I made only half the suggested amount of icing. It tasted good. The texture was a bit denser and more muffin-like than a regular cake but unless someone told you you wouldn't have know that it was devoid of fun things like butter and eggs. To be honest I would probably stick to traditional chocolate cake in the future but it's a great way to hide some vegetables for fussy eater children! As for my baking skills, I was planning to make CM a cake for her next birthday but I'm not sure her or her friends would want a beetroot and rapeseed oil cake and given my art skills the only thing I could disguise it as would be a peppa pig muddy puddle. I wonder if either of my show-stopper-cake-baking friends take orders instead...</div><div><br></div><div><b>Chocolate and Beetroot Eggless Cake</b> </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfw6-WSc76knsPpjI9grkqNUwNtKC9dvpUq60FAmtopPYgU8wEei3r_aPnKhP5nJEmTFSCJxcsh8NYIz8Tek8r_vX1Y06AvAVmU5P8xjrfuRZLfrSXoiKtDaVxjzo3bOa7aEnfU0neaNBk/s640/blogger-image-1995400966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfw6-WSc76knsPpjI9grkqNUwNtKC9dvpUq60FAmtopPYgU8wEei3r_aPnKhP5nJEmTFSCJxcsh8NYIz8Tek8r_vX1Y06AvAVmU5P8xjrfuRZLfrSXoiKtDaVxjzo3bOa7aEnfU0neaNBk/s640/blogger-image-1995400966.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/eggless-chocolate-beetroot-blitz-bake-cake</div><div><br></div><div><b>Substitutions</b></div><div><br></div><div>125g sugar instead of 175g</div><div>Half the quantity of icing </div><div><br><div><div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-74232466393306202712015-09-10T21:44:00.001+01:002015-09-10T21:53:47.483+01:00Prawn, Courgette and Chilli Spaghetti<div>What would you say is your least favourite vegetable? Mine has got to be cauliflower. I'm a very unfussy eater so it's quite unusual for me to really dislike something but cauliflower has to be the one thing I try to avoid at all costs. N has slightly more things on his vegetable black list. Taking the number one slot is definitely courgettes. I can understand his dislike. If a courgette is not cooked properly it can taste pretty bad. I have distinct childhood memories of boiled, mushy, bland courgette. The problem is after a while you get bored of the same vegetables on your shopping list, so over the years the humble courgette has become one of my staples. The challenge is hiding it in food so N will eat it! Up till now I've only ever used it in stir fries and casseroles but I've finally found a winning recipe! It's taken 6 years but I think N has finally accepted that he does like this summer squash relative of the cucumber. Perhaps if I refer to it as a zucchini from now on he will find it even more appealing!! </div><div><br></div><div><b>Prawn, courgette and chilli spaghetti</b></div><div>(Serves 2 | Total prep and cooking time: 20-30 mins)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqcbQDYgei6KfrS79zvsaeriiAAzAXT7z_jppgvYragez_AJF1nNyLcy882ztv-RU0scDME9m5_xFTDH4M6tGexfQGngiKY2Zwu-fg9lNaERtj5nrgjyZ6IgzMiNSq8BNHSbczEb6Oaxa/s640/blogger-image-1131886892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqcbQDYgei6KfrS79zvsaeriiAAzAXT7z_jppgvYragez_AJF1nNyLcy882ztv-RU0scDME9m5_xFTDH4M6tGexfQGngiKY2Zwu-fg9lNaERtj5nrgjyZ6IgzMiNSq8BNHSbczEb6Oaxa/s640/blogger-image-1131886892.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>4 cloves of garlic - finely chopped </div><div>1 red chilli - deseeded and finely chopped</div><div>250g cooked jumbo king prawns </div><div>1 courgette - thinly sliced using a mandolin or a potato peeler </div><div>Juice of half a lemon</div><div>Tablespoon chopped parsley </div><div>Olive oil for frying </div><div>120-150g spaghetti </div><div><br></div><div><b>Method:</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>- </b>Cook the spaghetti according to instructions on packet<b> </b></div><div>- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or sauté pan </div><div><b>- </b>Fry the garlic and chilli</div><div>- Add the courgettes and prawns and pan fry for a couple of mins </div><div>- Add the lemon juice and parsley and stir well</div><div>- Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan </div><div>- Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes </div><div><br></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-71132180949074930212015-09-03T14:04:00.001+01:002015-09-03T14:04:16.561+01:00I'm Back!<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Ok so I lied. Not intentionally of course, but at the end of my last post I did promise to continue to update my blog regularly and all I can say is that I clearly haven't. I think posting every day throughout November scarred me. Not only did I not want to write about food for a while I didn't even want to eat it, cook it or think about it! Poor N, he has been surviving on bread and water since the end of last year. Well clearly not, but I have to say my cooking hasn't been all that adventurous. </span></div><div><br></div><div>Now of course I have a whole host of excuses to explain my prolonged absence but i won't bore you with them all. But, it has been 9 months since my last post which is a really long time. In fact it's long enough to have a baby. And that's precisely what I did. May I welcome the newest addition to accidental cook family...Seagull (SG). That refers to both the sound he makes and the little 'presents' he leaves for me to clear up! He joins my toddler CM (cheeky monkey) in a house full of chaos and culinary experimentation. </div><div><br></div><div>So back to business. Adventures of an Accidental Cook is back. And this time it's bigger, bolder and brighter (well the blog background is anyway)! And this time I've also learnt my lesson. I'm not going to do anything crazy like post every day but I will promise to post more than once every 9 months! In fact I will post every week. By the end of every Thursday there will be a new post. I'm not promising they will be long and detailed with elaborate recipes but they will be food related and they will be regular. </div><div><br></div><div>So see you next Thursday! </div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-36483183586832571482014-11-30T22:31:00.001+00:002014-11-30T22:31:59.358+00:00The end is nigh!I can't belove it's the last day of my 30 day NaBloPoMo challenge. And I'm sorry to disappoint you but there is no recipe today. The main reason for that is I haven't cooked a thing all day. N and I went out for our first Christmas dinner with friends today. It was a lovely evening, good food, good company, but it felt a little to early to be Christmas. I ate turkey and we pulled crackers but I still don't feel festive yet. Saying that advent calendars start tomorrow and I must put up my tree this week. Once I've done that I'm sure that will get me in the mood. And now my 30 days food blogging challenge is over I can start thinking about Christmas shopping. And all the other things I've put on hold for the last month. Because amazingly by spending 30 minutes every day writing a post, I have neglected everything else. My admin pile is mountaining, I have phone calls to return, we are running short of clean clothes and lets not even start talking about my skirting boards! That is because I now realise that the only 'free-time' I have every day (weekends are a bit different of course) is about 30 minutes. And I've been using that blogging. But I have no regrets. It was a greater challenge than I had anticipated but I got to the end. It wasn't easy, about day 9 I broke down and sobbed to N that I couldn't do it anymore. But I got past the wall and it was worth it. What an achievement for an absolutely fantastic cause. Thank you to everyone who logged on and read my blog, particularly those of you who logged on every day. Without seeing how many page views I was getting I doubt I would have been motivated to carry on. Thank you to all the wonderful people who favourited and re-tweeted my tweets and to everyone who liked my Facebook status. You have all been amazing and I really hope that somewhere in these 30 posts there has been a recipe of two you have used. <div><br></div><div>So for now this is goodbye. I promise to donate my money to CHECT this week. And for any of you feeling particularly generous as Christmas approaches you can donate directly at www.chect.org.uk. Apart from learning how little free time I have, this post has reminded me that if you try you can always find time for something you want to do. So although I have no intention of posting every day I do promise to keep adding something at regular intervals so please make sure you keep checking! </div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-12449870815139803022014-11-29T21:13:00.001+00:002014-11-29T21:28:06.486+00:00Capers!<div><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. </i></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i><i>Yesterday's total page views: 100 </i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I actually managed to find 10 minutes this afternoon to browse through a recipe book. That is something I love to do but I rarely make time for it, there's just too much else to do. I have so many cookery books, thousands of beautiful pages with colourful and exciting recipes waiting to get out. But they just sit there on my shelf tucked away in a dark cupboard. But today I got out my favourite one. Nigel Slater's kitchen diaries, only for once I picked up volume 2. I stumbled across a beautiful recipe for sea bass with rosemary and capers. I had all the right ingredients at home (except some sherry vinegar, oh and I added a few green olives in for good measure). it must have been fate! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As a description to the recipe Nigel wrote a beautiful prose about capers. It is amazing how these random salty berries that lurk in the door of the fridge could be so fascinating. Here's an excerpt...</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>'Capers generally come in brine or salt. The latter is considered better, mostly because the capers are plumper and, although salty, the seasoning stays on the outside and can be washed off - unlike the brined version, where the capers soak up the water solution like sponges. </i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>The caper is the cooks' first call for piquancy. Bitter, sharp and salty, it has the ability to bring out the flavour of any ingredient it is partnered with. A dull nugget that makes others shine'. </i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Nigel is without-a-doubt my food writing guru. I could read his words all day. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>Sea bass with rosemary and capers </b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">(Serves 2 | total prep and cooking time 40 mins)</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFlaaAEsLASRsm10qlwU-B5wzTFnNCWqtWYE88F3IVa6EEBzoettoDCLaX7dr9owblmIYxigYtZfMIUGyIXnacHm1Vg5F2Xrwzcgr6HSrk_wZ3GeWeK8jepNeCITpOyBB6qZGENhas5g8/s640/blogger-image--2147414846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFlaaAEsLASRsm10qlwU-B5wzTFnNCWqtWYE88F3IVa6EEBzoettoDCLaX7dr9owblmIYxigYtZfMIUGyIXnacHm1Vg5F2Xrwzcgr6HSrk_wZ3GeWeK8jepNeCITpOyBB6qZGENhas5g8/s640/blogger-image--2147414846.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Ingredients </b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 2 boneless sea bass fillets </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- approx 250g new potatoes</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- olive oil</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 1-2 bushy sprigs of rosemary </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 1/2 chilli - deseeded and finely chopped </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- tablespoon of capers - rinsed and crushed or chopped slightly </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> - juice of half a lemon</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 2 cloves garlic - finely chopped</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 6-8 green olives - sliced </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- tablespoon of chopped parsley</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Method</b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- Wash the potatoes and cut them into slices about the thickness of a pound coin</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- warm a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large, shallow pan or roasting tin set over a moderate to low heat and slide in the potatoes. Cook for a about 10 mins stirring and turning regularly so they don't stick to the pan </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- while the potatoes are cooking remove the needles from the rosemary and place in a small bowl. Add the chilli, capers, olives, lemon juice, tablespoon of olive oil, parsley and garlic and stir well</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- when the potatoes have been cooking for 10 mins, take off the heat and lay the sea bass fillets on top. Pour over the dressing and cover the dish with foil</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- place in the oven for approx 25 mins until the fish and potatoes are cooked </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-88565874537764396282014-11-27T21:53:00.001+00:002014-11-27T21:53:17.418+00:00Should we chicken out?<div><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. </i></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i><i>Yesterday's total page views: 54</i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So this chicken contamination story scared me a little today, and my automatic reaction was 'should I stop eating chicken?' Until I realised of course that this is not new. Chicken infected with campylobacter has always been the case, the food standards agency has just happened to release a new report on it. But as much as I always knew you have to be really careful with undercooked chicken or contamination with raw chicken juices I did not know that up to 70% of all supermarket bought fresh chicken is infected. That is huge. And no supermarket is spared although some seem to sell a greater proportion of infected meat than others. And ironically going free range is worse as chickens pick up bacteria from the ground. I know supermarkets have pledged to reduce their rate of infected chicken over the forthcoming years by 'steam-cleaning' the meat but is this really the answer. They only plan to reduce the percentage of campylobacter in chickens by 10% so if you go in to a shop and buy a chicken you still have a very high chance of buying infected poultry. So the only real solution is incredible food hygiene and safe cooking practices. I like to think I am pretty careful but I guess you can never be too sure. I always use a separate chopping board for meat, chicken and fish and I make sure my chicken is well cooked even if I risk over cooking it. But the best tip I ever learnt was to not wash the chicken. This made no sense to start with, I assumed by washing it you clean it, but actually all you do is spread the bacteria. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">So after my little panic I calmed down. You clearly can't stop eating chicken, but it's a great reminder of how careful you need to be with these things. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-91820251015651749732014-11-26T21:55:00.001+00:002014-11-26T22:17:05.758+00:00Spag Bol!<div><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. </i></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i><i>Yesterday's total page views: 91</i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Spaghetti Bolognese is probably one of the most frequently made dinners. In fact it's almost thought of as a bit of a cop out! Especially if you use a ready made sauce. But it doesn't have to be. I try to put a bit of a twist on mine by packing it full of veggies. It makes it taste less dense and it's a fantastic way to boost your 5-a-day, especially for little ones that try to avoid their greens! The key to a great bolognese is to cook the mince on a low heat for as long possible. If you have the time to do this fantastic, but I would add the vegetables a lot later so you can preserve the vitamins. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>My Spag Bol! </b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">(Serves 2 | total prep and cooking time at least 1 hour)</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYNuWpZQiBcCaYdvQS0qM6TaYkMd8gWEAqd7Hy8kjyuBSvWSz1em-TIleq9-DSvaIb5F75zZX8HB_wxFFcwwCooX3CFlBtu3LOUMgLZmxh6AalBcH73P41pDOPKdyssP8BD9P8oHbFRwx/s640/blogger-image--362672567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYNuWpZQiBcCaYdvQS0qM6TaYkMd8gWEAqd7Hy8kjyuBSvWSz1em-TIleq9-DSvaIb5F75zZX8HB_wxFFcwwCooX3CFlBtu3LOUMgLZmxh6AalBcH73P41pDOPKdyssP8BD9P8oHbFRwx/s640/blogger-image--362672567.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><b>Ingredients </b></div><div>- 120-150g spaghetti </div><div>- 400g pack of beef or lamb mince</div><div>- 1 onion - diced</div><div>- 3 cloves garlic - finely chopped</div><div>- 6-7 mushrooms - sliced </div><div>- vegetables e.g leek (very finely chopped), spinach, peas etc </div><div>- 227g tin chopped tomatoes</div><div>- lamb or beef stock - how much depends on how long you plan to cook it for, if you don't make enough don't worry you can top up with water if need be</div><div>- Italian herbs </div><div><br></div><div><b>Method </b></div><div>- cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions</div><div>- fry the onion in a large frying pan or sauté pan</div><div>- add the garlic and fry for a few moments</div><div>- add the mince and brown, stirring regularly so the mince doesn't clump together</div><div>- add the mushrooms and vegetables and fry for a few moments </div><div>- pour in the tomatoes and add the herbs. Stir well and cook for a few moments</div><div>- add approx 200 ml of stock and simmer for 30 mins. Keep adding water if it dries out or turn up the heat and uncover if there is too much water</div><div>- serve on top of the spaghetti or mix the spaghetti into the sauce</div><div><br></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-29787711274575827092014-11-25T21:54:00.001+00:002014-11-25T22:05:15.871+00:00Arrabiata<div><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. </i></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i><i>Yesterday's total page views: 42</i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For some reason I never order Arrabiata when I go out to eat but I quite enjoy making it at home. It's an especially good choice when I have a pack of bacon in the fridge that needs using up. And if I happen to have my back-up ready roast chicken in the fridge it's actually a pretty speedy meal. For some reason I always add mushrooms, I guess it breaks up the meatiness a little. I know it's traditionally meant to be made with penne but I vary the pasta depending on my mood, but to be honest the penne tastes the best! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Pasta Arrabiata</b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">(Serves 2 | total prep and cooking time 40 mins)</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0urWFQ5OnxivdzP_WEwzZQEqtyIlOYV-EXr_UjYKDejY8fZ4azVFbLWS9zpHCxTS4XzT7-VNCNDYzh64KnuZaFQQ8F3szFETRT1-Oy_3ArS0vMx2KvcvDWgquIS3JqxpR6NdC5FmERDS/s640/blogger-image-344585990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0urWFQ5OnxivdzP_WEwzZQEqtyIlOYV-EXr_UjYKDejY8fZ4azVFbLWS9zpHCxTS4XzT7-VNCNDYzh64KnuZaFQQ8F3szFETRT1-Oy_3ArS0vMx2KvcvDWgquIS3JqxpR6NdC5FmERDS/s640/blogger-image-344585990.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Ingredients </b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 150 g or 6 handfuls of pasta </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 1 onion - diced </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 3 cloves of garlic - finely chopped </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 1/2 chilli - finely chopped </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 3 tomatoes - chopped</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 150-200g mushrooms - sliced</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 4 rashers of bacon</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 1 chicken breast fillet</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- basil or other Italian herbs - frozen, fresh or dried</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- black pepper</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 150ml vegetable or chicken stock </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Method</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- cut the chicken breast into small pieces and fry in a little oil until sealed all over. Set aside</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- heat a little more oil and cook the bacon. Once cooked remove any fat and cut into small pieces</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- heat some more oil and fry the onion, garlic and chilli </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- add the mushrooms and cook for a few moments </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- add the tomatoes </span></div><div>- return the chicken an bacon to the pan and stir well</div><div>- add the herbs and the stock and simmer for 10-15 mins until the chicken in cooked through. </div><div>- turn up the heat until any excess liquid has evaporated </div><div>- meanwhile cook pasta according to intstrictions </div><div>- once cooked, drain the pasta and stir into the Arrabiata sauce </div><div>- top with fresh black pepper</div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-10645066310237568782014-11-24T21:45:00.001+00:002014-11-24T21:45:51.011+00:00A quick meal for a cold winter night<div><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. </i></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i><i>Yesterday's total page views: 66</i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I can't believe how the weather has changed. I feel like all I have done today is de-ice my car. In my 15 years of working this is the first winter I've ever have to drive to work. I used to envy people that could get into their warm cars on a cold winter morning but I had not accounted for how long it takes to clear frosted windows. Thank goodness for de-icer. It has got to be the best invention. Except for the poor girl that was getting into the car across the road from me this evening. I saw her start her car and just stand outside it waiting. I shouted across the road to ask her if she wanted to borrow some de-icer and she looked eternally grateful. It turns out she had two cans of it in the boot, but her boot had frozen shut. Now how do you possibly account for that! Moral of the story is keep it in the main car, one of those 4 doors is bound to open! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anyway, so after reaching home, late and covered in frost, barely feeling my fingers and toes, all I wanted was a hot shower and dinner to be ready for me. Thankfully I had some lemon sole in the fridge and just the recipe for a quicky tasty weekday dinner! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>Lemon Sole</b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>(Serves 2 | total prep and cooking time 25 mins) </b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><br></b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwew2i8F-tRMmcca_SRE7Nn7a5OmfARq_FJBmpfapRDK5CPI_TRVuYFe7t0h6u0v8k8UTwQpwgnE4yxHVLr9iVxV10DWzh9t9P70dr_gT_R_4sAs9sG7RWHMDvvsN9i9PGmCSQdBfxZGl/s640/blogger-image-1424811842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwew2i8F-tRMmcca_SRE7Nn7a5OmfARq_FJBmpfapRDK5CPI_TRVuYFe7t0h6u0v8k8UTwQpwgnE4yxHVLr9iVxV10DWzh9t9P70dr_gT_R_4sAs9sG7RWHMDvvsN9i9PGmCSQdBfxZGl/s640/blogger-image-1424811842.jpg"></a></div><br></b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>Ingredients </b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- 3-4 lemon sole fillets (they are pretty thin so you may need more than one each) </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- olive oil</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- juice of 1/2 a lemon</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- 2 spring onions - finely sliced </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- 1-2 tablespoons capers - slightly crushed </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- 6-7 green pitted olives - sliced </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- tablespoon chopped parsley </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- black pepper </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>Method </b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- place the fish fillets in an ovenproof dish</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- in a bowl mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, spring onions, capers, olive, parsley amd black pepper </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- pour the marinade over the fish</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- cover with foil and cook for 10-15 mins until the fish is opaque and flaky</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- serve with boiled new potatoes and your choice of vegetables </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-66001730684064512782014-11-23T21:55:00.001+00:002014-11-23T22:00:56.954+00:00The perfect egg fried riceWorking out how to make perfect egg fried rice is like trying to boil the perfect egg. It sounds simple but actually it takes a bit if practice and trial and error to get it right. The most crucial thing is to make sure the rice is cooked and cooled before hand. The easiest way to cool it is to spread it out on a plate. The next bit is whether you scramble your egg first or add it in to the rice. Ken Hom recommends the latter and who am I to question my Chinese cooking guru. And to be honest it tastes pretty good, try it next time you make Chinese food, you may have found your perfect egg fried rice recipe. <div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1coUNJeT26L0yneuk8PHX7jzw6-lQcLMZwNPsRfI3F48Uu9FLylw3_ky1zHzz9nCHgFXBv_FP2hjdKvH7viyS4JSWGko8SCB_cG65TIBldxP47BCPzbvM7MA3AmclehZZ07n3V94VpgrP/s640/blogger-image--1732574027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1coUNJeT26L0yneuk8PHX7jzw6-lQcLMZwNPsRfI3F48Uu9FLylw3_ky1zHzz9nCHgFXBv_FP2hjdKvH7viyS4JSWGko8SCB_cG65TIBldxP47BCPzbvM7MA3AmclehZZ07n3V94VpgrP/s640/blogger-image--1732574027.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Cook and cool the rice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In a bowl whisk egg(s) with some toasted sesame oil and a pinch of salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Heat the groundnut oil in a large frying pan or wok</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Add the cooled rice and stir fry for a few minutes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Drizzle on <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">the egg mixture and fry for a few minutes until the egg has set and the mixture is dry </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">Continue to fry for a few more minute until some of the rice grains start to turn a bit crispy</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">Top with chopped spring onions if you wish </font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-77912500949367957192014-11-22T20:35:00.001+00:002014-11-22T20:45:30.783+00:00Chicken curry<div><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. </i></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i><i>Yesterday's total page views: 39</i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I will start by apologising. I have no photo today, I am sorry. Before I could even get the camera ready half the dinner was gone. I would like to take it as a compliment but I suspect part of the reason was pure hunger. But sometimes there's nothing like a good homemade chicken curry. It's not the fancy dishes you get in the restaurants with nuts and cream etc. it's just simple, tasty North Indian chicken curry. A piece of cake to make but utterly delicious. If you already have a range of spices at home there is absolutely nothing stopping you making it. In fact in the time it takes for your take away to be delivered you can have it ready on the table (well almost)! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Chicken Curry </b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>(Serves 2-3 | total prep and cooking time 45 mins) </b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><br></b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Ingredients </b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 4 chicken things, skin removed and chopped in half if they are big</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 1 large onion - finely chopped</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 3 cloves of garlic - finely chopped</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 1.5 inch piece of ginger - finely chopped </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 227g tin chopped tomatoes</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 1 heaped teaspoon cumin powder</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 1 heaped teaspoon coriander powder</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- 1 heaped teaspoon paprika</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- 1/2 teaspoon tumeric </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- salt to taste</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- tablespoon fresh chopped coriander </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>Method</b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- heat oil in a deep pan e.g a casserole dish </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- fry the opinions</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- add garlic and ginger and fry until soft and slightly brown, stirring regularly </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- add all the dry spices - cumin powder, coriander powder, tumeric and paprika </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- stir until mixed well and cook for a few minutes</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- add the tomatoes and chopped coriander and keep stirring until it forms a smooth paste</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- add the chicken pieces, mix well, simmer and cover for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Do not add any water at this stage as the chicken will release plenty</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">- once the chicken is cooked add water if you feel the gravy is too dry and cook uncovered for a few moments. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-80333849647738389892014-11-21T22:03:00.001+00:002014-11-21T22:03:09.344+00:00Are carrots really good for your eyes?<div>
<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. </i></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br /></i><i>Yesterday's total page views: 73</i></span></div>
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Carrots will make you see better. This is probably the most common eye myth we know, told to us from when we were young, probably to make us eat more veggies. And still to this day is it one of the most common statements patients say to me. Half joking but half serious. The question is, is it really a myth? The answer is yes and no. No, carrots won't actually make you read more letters on the chart or reduce your need for glasses, but carrots do contain a lot of beta- carotene which the body converts to vitamin A and is very important for overall eye health, particularly in the retina. So yes eating carrots are good for your eyes. As is eating a number of other things such as omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish. But of all these antioxidants are probably one of the key nutrients for not only maintaining eye health but also general health including things like cholesterol and cancer. </div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Antioxidants are nutrients that protect cells from damage caused by free radicals—molecules associated with ageing. Free radicals are atoms lacking an electron which as a result make them stable. In order to gain stability they steal electrons from other cells there by causing cell damage. This is known as oxidative stress and is one of the things cause by UV rays. Free radicals are thought to cause eye diseases including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. Antioxidants keep the creation of free radicals under control and help protect and repair cells damaged by them. Common antioxidants found in our food include vitamins A, C & E, selenium and zinc. They often occur in brightly coloured foods. Examples are oranges, red berries, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, pumpkin, egg yolk, green and black tea watermelon </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and broccoli</span>, although this list is by no means exhaustive.<br />
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I think this kind of research and information is fascinating - it's obviously the geeky scientist in me. I'm sure it's by no means the answer for everyone as I'm sure there are many people that eat all the right things and are still unfortunately affected by illnesses however it is definitely something I feel we should bear in mind when look at what we consume on a daily basis. Particularly if it gives me an excuse to have the occasional glass of red wine and some dark chocolate, both excellent sources of antioxidants in case you weren't aware! </div>
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The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-78180931632864715472014-11-20T21:12:00.001+00:002014-11-20T21:29:03.723+00:00Omelette....how do you like yours?<div><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. </i></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i><i>Yesterday's total page views: 64</i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I am a little bit addicted to eggs. I could eat them at any mealtime. Fried, boiled, scrambled, you name it. But there's something about a good omelette that you can't beat. I'm easy when it comes to fillings. Mushroom and cheese is always a winner but spring onion and ham work well too. But my favourite has to be the omelette I grew up on. I guess you could call it an Indian omelette. All you need is finely diced red onion, chopped coriander and a little bit of chopped chilli. Mix it in to a whisked egg and add a bit of salt to season. Perfect with hot buttered toast. A perfect dinner. Or lunch. Or even breakfast. I told you I could eat it any time of day! </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4fT9A-r1InFQSQlFi7PoirM2nToN0gxcd-iX8EM5MlPfQ8J3GRgyBcqFpjCiQGK5fwOu0CjFEu_FuZAjzRYii1tOMCrOpCjiI2KEIEtnx4rRrEIJ2SdIJDkslYOQFwRHPVxFh7HrDUxv/s640/blogger-image-609431802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4fT9A-r1InFQSQlFi7PoirM2nToN0gxcd-iX8EM5MlPfQ8J3GRgyBcqFpjCiQGK5fwOu0CjFEu_FuZAjzRYii1tOMCrOpCjiI2KEIEtnx4rRrEIJ2SdIJDkslYOQFwRHPVxFh7HrDUxv/s640/blogger-image-609431802.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><br></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609496008033088704.post-55417994055155795762014-11-19T21:34:00.001+00:002014-11-19T21:45:24.316+00:00Meal planning<div><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. </i></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i><i>Yesterday's total page views: 54</i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I am a big fan of meal planning. I think it's a wonderful idea I'm just not sure why I never get around to doing it! I used to plan our meals a lot and it worked well but it's one of those things that once you stop it's really hard to get back in the flow of it again. And ironically although it will shave of loads of time in my week I can't seem to find the initial time do set up the meal planning! But the benefits are clear. I spend so much if my day wondering what to cook, I actually find it quite stressful. I often ask friends and colleagues what they are going to cook that evening and no-one ever seems to know, but the difference is it doesn't seem to bother them. I guess some people need to meal plan and others don't!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I've also recently heard lots of people talking the next stage in meal planning. All-in-one recipe and ingredients boxes. You pick the meals you want to make online and a box is sent to you with the recipes and all the ingredients, measured out and ready to use so there's no waste. I was sceptical as I assumed this would work out expensive but I've been told it can cost as little as £10 for a meal for 4. I think I could be a convert, although I'm not sure how many of the recipes N would want to eat! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So for now I will just stick to meal planning. And I'm going to start. Soon. I've even designed a weekly meal planner chart, sad I know but I'm hoping it will motivate me. I will keep you posted....</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Please post a message and let me know how many of you meal plan. I'd love to hear your experiences. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div>The Accidental Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246960569987363033noreply@blogger.com0