Thursday 29 November 2012

Sausage and Asparagus Risotto



Updated: 19/04/2013

When I first posted this recipe I highlighted the age old issue of buying food that you just don’t get round to eating.


I told you how in my house we ALWAYS have a pack of sausages just sitting there waiting to be used. Unfortunately this hasn’t changed since my original post…

I also bet every single one of you can look in the fridge on a weekly basis and find that ONE thing you seem to buy no matter what. No matter how dedicated you are to meal planning, and using up everything so that you don’t create waste, there’s always something lurking in the back of the fridge that just sits there. It’ll be something that you just don’t really know what to do with, but that you love nonetheless.

We also tend to buy a lot of asparagus. And, it is a pretty expensive vegetable to be buying when you have no plans to use it.
I’ve tried a whole range of recipes. From griddled asparagus with almond butter (yet to make it’s way to the blog) to simply steamed alongside salmon. But the more times you have it steamed, or with butter, it starts to get boring.

Luckily for me it seems sausages and asparagus work quite well together!

At university I used to love coming up with sausage dishes mainly alongside pasta as always had some in the cupboard. Sausages are so versatile they can be put with the spiciest of tomato sauces and the creamiest of white sauces .

Here are just a few examples:
Before I came up with this recipe, at home (meaning my parent’s house), our sausage experiences are a little more conservative...usually toad in the hole, or sausages and mash! Not that I’m complaining! They are two of the best comfort foods.
Now, this recipe makes it’s way on to our dinner table every couple of weeks! And I’ve managed to stop the ‘rents buying sausages if we don’t have any need for them. It’s a miracle!







Until my original post a couple of months ago, I’d never really thought of pairing sausage and asparagus together before but the more I considered making a creamy sausage dish, the more it just made sense! So with the addition of some onion, mushroom, stock and risotto rice I soon had a new and exciting midweek meal.
To balance out the creaminess of this dish add to give it a bit more personality I find a good helping of pepper really helps, so don’t be afraid to give the pepper mill a good twist or two…or three…or four. You get the picture.

So, if you ever find yourself left with the odd pack of sausages and bunch of asparagus give this a go. If they’re not two ingredients you often find in your fridge then this is something you definitely have to try – head down to the supermarket now and treat yourself!




 


Total based on Asda’s own unless otherwise specified:

Sausages £1.38, onion 15p, asparagus £1, mushrooms 40p, aborio rice 75p, Knorr chicken stock (from cube) 16p, pepper 1p = £3.85

Per person = 96p!

Calculated on or before 29/11/2012

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Pork Roast with Apples and Cider Gravy

Succulent pork joint served with apples and cider gravy.

For the first time EVER my Dad has let go of the reins and let me cook the Sunday roast! Now if you don’t know my Dad, you probably don’t know just how much of a big deal this is!!! Dad has ALWAYS done the roast. I think my Mum has only been forced to do it a few times when he’s been ill. When he was flat out with a bad back for 6 months rather than let anyone else attempt to do the Sunday Dinner...we just didn’t have one! FOR 6 MONTHS! That’s how much of a big deal this is...Dad does roasts. End of.


Yet, this week as we were wandering down the aisles of our local Sainsbury’s I convinced him to let me choose everything from the veg (on in this case fruit) and the joint of meat. Once I’d put it all in the trolley he finally uttered those words I’d longed to hear... “Do you want to COOK the roast this week?” YES! YES I DO! So that was it, I was officially in charge of cooking the Sunday dinner.

Now, to complicate things, we rarely buy pork as it’s my Mum and sister’s least favourite meat. So I not only had to cook a flawless roast (which I’ve never even attempted before) but I had to convince my Mum that pork can be delicious and not just full of fat.

It sounds rather cliché matching pork with apples (and therefore cider) but some flavour combinations are just meant to be, so I decided not to mess with the classics, but to simply try and refine what is really quite a simple recipe. The idea is that with a hint of the apple’s sweetness, you let the pork truly shine. And, with a good bit of crackling on the side I believe that this recipe will win over even the most reluctant pork eaters. My Mum included.


Friday 9 November 2012

Review: Adobo, Holborn

Adobo – visited once a week for the last two months…     
87 High Holborn,
London UK,
WC1V 6LS
Today I’m bringing you another review from the Holborn area. When you’re as busy as me, you want something quick, easy and hopefully healthy to fill you up while you’re on the go, and the place I keep going back to: Adobo.
Now, let’s be honest, the name Adobo doesn’t give much away. In my first few weeks of Law School I had clocked its small doorway with its bright colours and cool artwork on the sandwich board outside, but I think I can be forgiven for not knowing EXACTLY what they offered. One day I was brave enough to go inside, it was noisy, rammed full of people, but smelt AMAZING.
Fortunately for me, the large queue gave me time to work out what they did. To sum up imagine subway…but with Burritos!

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Mincemeat (for mince pies and other deliciousness)


 



Today I bring you the first of many Christmas Recipes. Some of you may be thinking this Christmas post is a little premature, but I must confess I’ve been Christmas obsessed for weeks now.

I’m one of those people who when they sign along to Wizzard’s “Oh I wish it could be Christmas everydaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay” I genuinely mean it. I. Love. Christmas. And not just Christmas day! Of course I’m grateful for the gift giving and I enjoy Christmas dinner, but for me the best part of Christmas is the build up! As with any occasion worth making traditions out of, my family do Christmas BIG TIME, so for me the build up is not just madly running around shops looking for the perfect gift. Oh no, it is SO much more! This is what Christmas means to me...



 

·         The Christmas season is declared open at the end of our annual bonfire night party where we all gather round my auntie’s house for a firework display at the local park, freshly cooked soup and sparklers.

·         The Christmas Book starts to make an appearance, temptingly being left around the house. This book is my Mum’s Christmas organiser; it contains the Christmas card list, the present list, as well as the more tedious chores like the Christmas Cleaning Rota!

·         Dad orders the Christmas turkey. We order our turkey from a semi-local butcher (it’s just a town away but it’s where they’ve got their turkey every year for the last 30!)

·         I start planning what I’m cooking for when! Christmas wouldn’t be complete without gingerbread men, a Yule log, a Christmas cake, mince-pies, shortbread and more! I will be baking ALOT over the Christmas period so keep your eyes peeled.

·         Christmas shopping! This year I started REALLY early buying an extra special present online. Towards the end of November we will make a trip to a big shopping centre (usually Milton Keynes) where we will shop to we drop and go out for a festive lunch!

·         Operation Christmas Child by Samaritan’s Purse. Every year I take a shoe box, fill it with toys, pens, pencils, notebooks, sweets, teddy bear, hygiene products, hats and gloves and send it off to a Child in a poverty stricken country with the aid of Samaritan Purse! Want to find out more follow this link: OperationChristmas Child.

·         Christmas films – my Mum has one of the most impressive collections with over 15 DVD’s! It’s a wonderful life is always saved to be watched on Christmas Eve however.

·         Christmas songs! On the first of December I play Christmas music...24/7. It made me rather unpopular in halls but I don’t care! I love ALL Christmas music and even have a favourite Christmas Compilation Album. I’m not ashamed to say it...I know the exact order of the songs and everything...

·         Opening the advent calendar and burning the advent candle



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