If you read my last blog post you will know that awhile back I had gotten into a bit of a food rut and wasn’t really enjoying cooking anymore! So I decided I was going to try a new recipe every week to try new things, improve my cooking skills and experiment with different flavours and cuisines. Here are my August recipes!
I’ve linked all the recipes below which you can follow if you like. I tend to read the recipe to get a general feel for how it’s done and then just start cooking so I rarely follow it to the letter.
Cauliflower Pizza
Pizza is my absolute favourite food but I always feel sick after I eat it and I was reading everywhere that a cauliflower base is a great alternative so I figured I’d give it a try. I think I told Mark on the Tuesday that I was making it that Saturday and he spent the whole week giving out about it saying I was crazy and I was ruining his weekend cheat meals. Bit dramatic, I know, but I was determined to make it!!
I used this recipe. The one thing I’ll say is that my mixture was very wet so I think less egg is needed but you can judge it yourself. I added salami, chilli and spinach to the pizza.
When it came out of the oven I was genuinely surprised at how appetising it looked! We had to eat it with a knife and fork but it tasted great! Definitely worth a try if you don’t want to get the sick tummy after a real pizza. I’d make it again!
Bhuna & Bombay Aloo
A bhuna and Bombay aloo are my favourite dishes to get from an Indian so I figured I’d try and make it myself. You can find the recipes here & here. I followed the recipe pretty closely because it was my first time attempting an Indian dish. Making all the different pastes and things made me feel like a really accomplished cook! I actually remembered to take pictures as I went (for once!) so you can see them below.
This dinner was delicious! The Bombay aloo were actually dry (they’re always in a sauce in the Indian takeaways) but they were really tasty. The bhuna was amazing too and full of flavour. I’m ashamed to say I did kind of miss the MSG and the feeling of knowing you’re being bold but other than that I cannot recommend this dish enough! I think it would impress at the dinner table if you had guests!
Chilli & Garlic Pasta
Has anyone seen Chef?? Well there is a scene where Jon Favreau makes Scarlett Johansson this dish and it’s so bloody hot I had to make it! So basically Mark was my Scarlett and I was the fat dude! I used this recipe although it’s really easy to make so you hardly need it! Chilli, garlic and pasta are possibly my three favourite foods in the world so this couldn’t go wrong!! I served it with blackened pesto chicken which was great!
Jambalaya
I worked in Bubba Gump’s, Chicago, for a summer where I discovered jambalaya! I had totally forgotten about it until I saw someone make it on ‘Come dine with me’ so I decided to give it a go. Find the recipe here (I threw in some prawns towards the end, just so you know). It worked out really well and was very tasty but I think I’d add a little chilli next time as it didn’t really have much of a kick (I like spicy food so take that statement with a pinch of salt…or chilli (I’m so funny!)). Mark absolutely loved this dish!
So there you go! My first four recipes from my #NewWeekNewRecipe challenge! I won’t be doing the challenge for September because I’m away for most of it and am trying to eat super healthy in the run up to my holiday in Thailand *SQUEEEEELS with excitement*.
My next blog post will document the final weigh in before the holiday! I have a goal in mind so let’s hope I make it. I was 3 pounds off with a week to go so it’s a tough one!
Check back soon to see how I do! And of course if you have any recipes you think I should try let me know in the comments below, follow me on Twitter –@Shlawlor and add me on instagram – @lovefoodbaby
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