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Happy Weekend everyone!

I have been fairly busy in my kitchen and have tweaked a few more recipes readt for my new vegetarian cookery book. I’m hoping to have that live by the end of this month!

Meanwhile, I have uploaded my cookery book to Smashwords and there is a free Sampler version of it!

You can find it at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CarolJones007

At the end of this week I am heading to North Wales for ten days and I shall be looking forward to checking out the local Welsh produce at the different farmers markets!

Have a great week.

xx

Spicy Bean Enchiladas

Hi everyone,
I had a good, but busy, weekend promoting my book and also cooking up some new recipes.
I made spicy bean enchiladas and they were delicious! Mind you, I did slightly overdo the chilli flavouring, but my taste buds have just about recovered and I have amended the recipe!
Later today, I shall be uploading Tried & Tested – 101 Recipes to Smashwords so it will now be available so it will be available for all e-reading devices, most word-processors and home printing.
I shall also be uploading a sampler version of it which will be free!
I’ll let you know when it all goes live!
Have a great week!
Xx

Happy Weekend Everyone!!!!

*** FREE *** 9/28/13 – 9/29/13

Would you like recipes that are EASY and that WORK?
Not sure where to start?
Here you have 101 Tried and Tested recipes that ALL WORK.
With soups, poultry, meats, fish, vegetarian, pasta & rice, potatoes, vegetables, dressings, sauces & marinades, desserts, baking and sweet things …
There’s truly something for everyone.
With differences you might not have thought of.
You don’t need an elaborate kitchen full of fancy gadgets.
Just follow the easy-but-imaginative recipes,
And get ready for: ‘Compliments to The Chef’!
Read on, get going, enjoy!

It is a cookery book, primarily aimed at beginners, but it could also be used by anyone who enjoys cooking and creating good, wholesome family meals.

“Tried & Tested – 101 Recipes” contains recipes covering soups, poultry, meats, fish, vegetarian, pasta & rice, potatoes, vegetables, dressings, sauces & marinades, desserts, baking and sweet things. I have personally tried, tested and modified each recipe until it works easily, giving excellent results. I have worked in the catering industry for many years running restaurants in north-west England and Jersey (which is renowned for fine dining).

It’s available at:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00DSCR7XU

Feeling Excited!!!

Well, I am feeling pretty excited and happy with life at the moment!

On Saturday and Sunday (28^th & 29^th September) my cookery book is free on Amazon!!!

And, on Wednesday 2^nd October I can upload it to Smashwords as my KDP Select contract will have come to an end.  I am also going to be giving away my sampler version of Tried & Tested – 101 Recipes on Smashwords!!! It has 10 recipes in it, so the reader will have a flavour of what my book is actually like! I shall be uploading that on Wednesday, too!

I am hoping to have my vegetarian cookery book available soon, but I do have a few more recipes that I want to perfect before adding them to the book. I do believe in trying and testing every recipe and getting it to the very best it can be.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you all.

Happy weekend everyone!

Xx

Sugar named ‘most addictive and dangerous substance’ of our time, worse than cigarettes and alcohol

Sugar named 'most addictive and dangerous substance' of our time, worse than cigarettes and alcohol.

Pumpkin & Parsnip Casserole

I decided to try out a wonderful sounding recipe for pumpkin and parsnip casserole yesterday. It had onions, garlic, chilli, beans, tomatoes, red wine and vegetable stock it, too. I added some smoked paprika and some fresh thyme, and lashings of salt and black pepper to it.

It was really delicious! It was packed with lots of healthy, fresh vegetables and I know it was doing me good whilst tasting really great! What a winner! I shall definitely be making it again soon!

I changed the original recipe quite a bit and was really thrilled with the result. I served it with mashed potato and some green beans. And, the recipe made several portions, so I re-heated some today after a busy day and it was such a quick, but healthy, meal.

Yummy!

Happy Thursday everyone!

xx

Pumpkin Casserole, Quesadillas and Enchiladas

I was at my local supermarket this morning and they had some pumpkins!!! It’s the first ones of this season and I had to buy one! It looks terrific!

I am going casserole it with some parsnips, beans, tomatoes, red wine and fresh herbs.

I have also got a few new recipe ideas for spicy bean enchiladas and refried bean quesadillas. I’ve got some wonderful time in my kitchen to look forward to!

I have also been working on a possible book cover for my veggie recipe book! I am feeling so excited about it. I’m hoping to have it published within a few weeks.

Have a wonderful day!

xx

Parmesan Crusted New Potatoes

Over the weekend I was working out what I wanted to cook. I wanted something simple, but tasty and healthy.

So, I pan-fried a piece of cod which was delicious!

I also experimented with some new potatoes and a new way of cooking them. I melted some butter, added a pinch of smoked paprika and tossed some new potatoes in the melted butter. I then popped them into a roasting tin (double lined with foil, cos I hate washing up!) and then popped them into the oven for 50 minutes.

Half way through cooking, I turned them over, coating them in the butter, and sprinkled them with some fresh breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese. With about 10 minutes cooking left, I tossed them again and sprinkled more breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese over them.

They were wonderful and a change from simple, plain new potatoes! I’ll post the recipe over the next few days.

Have a great week!

xx

Autumn Casserole!

Summer is definitely over here in UK! Autumn is here and winter is just around the corner.

But, for a foodie like me, winter means lots of wonderful vegetables, squashes and pumpkins! I can’t wait to be cooking pumpkin again and trying some new cooking ideas I have!

I cooked a mixed bean and vegetable casserole yesterday which was delicious! It was so easy and bursting with goodness from the red onions, courgettes, celeriac, tomatoes and a variety of beans. I served it with rice, but it would be great served with mashed potato on a cold winter’s day.

Next week I am getting together with a good friend of mine and we are having an aubergine lasagne. It’s a new recipe that I want to try and my friend has agreed to be a guinea pig for me!!! I am not terribly keen on aubergine, but this seems a good recipe and I am hoping that it will change my mind about aubergines.

I’ll let you know how it tastes!!!

Have a great weekend.

xx

Chipotle Baked Potato Halves

Over the weekend I discovered chipotle! My supermarket had a chipotle rub and I just had to try it out!!

A chipotle , or chilpotle, (which comes from the Nahuatl word ‘chilpoctli’ meaning smoked chili) is a smoke-dried jalapeño. It is a chili used primarily in Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines.

I used it as a rub on some potatoes, with olive oil, and I then baked them. They were delicious and had a lovely warmth to them.

Here’s what I did:-

I preheated the oven to gas mark 6/200ºC/400ºF/180º fan assisted/fairly hot.

I washed the potatoes and checked for anything that needed to be cut out, such as insect holes. Then, I cut them in half lengthwise. I scored a criss-cross pattern on the flesh side of the potatoes. This looks nice, and also helps the flavouring to penetrate.

I took 3 tablespoons of olive oil, mixed with 1 teaspoon of the chipotle rub, in a bowl, with a little salt and black pepper.

I coated the potatoes in this mixture, rubbing it thoroughly into the skin and flesh.

I lined a baking tray with foil (it helps with the washing up and prevented the potatoes from sticking).

I placed the potatoes, skin side down, on the baking tray and baked for 45 minutes. I them turned them over, and baked for a further 15 minutes at gas mark 7/220ºC/425ºF/190º fan assisted/hot.

The flavouring had nicely permeated right through them, and the skins were deliciously crispy! I shall definitely be making them again!