Fancy a bit of crumpet?

Tanya's thoughts:
Firstly - yes homemade crumpets taste amazing and nothing like the store bought ones.
Secondly and regretfully I'm not sure it's worth the effort. I can't believe I of all people would say that when it comes to baking. Basically it starts off with a bread making process which is fine but of course waiting for it to rise etc is time consuming. Then it's fiddly and takes time cooking them all. Yes I only had a couple of crumpet rings that slowed everything down but unless you have 5 frying pans on the go with 5 crumpet rings in each it's always going to take a bit of time. I started making these at a reasonable hour of 9am on a Saturday morning and think we were eating them just after 11am :/ Or later but can't really remember. That traumatic, perhaps I blocked it out :p
Maybe if someone asked me to make these as a dying wish I would consider it. I said consider :p

Easter cakes!

Tanya's thoughts:
Ahem. It's only a few months after Easter? Surely we all remember what we did for Easter?? :/ yes I'm playing catch up on my blog but really wanted to add these in as I had fun making them for a little tea party on the bank holiday Monday after Easter. Classic birds nests and butterfly fairy cakes, where I dyed the butter cream to match the nestle mini eggs. Yes even with food I like to colour co-ordinate.I also emptied some eggs so I could decorate them for the Easter table spread. Aren't they cute?

Chicken, apple and rosemary pie

Tanya's thoughts:
Have you ever being stuck for a dinner idea and just googled the ingredients you had in the fridge? well this was how i stumbled across this gem of an idea/recipe. I would never have thought these ingredients married together so well. here's the recipe: http://elseachelsea.typepad.com/frolic/chicken-apple-rosemary-pot-pie.html. In fact I can't believe I haven't made this since? I didn't make my own pastry as had some puff pastry that needed to be used up. (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it).

The best peanut butter cookies ever

(and I don't say that lightly!)

Tanya's thoughts:
Sad as I am, I've tried many different recipes for this but now have found the winning one. I think it was Rachel Allen's? I did add chocolate chunks and then that was it - a miracle was born. Anyway they were delish and have made them several times and it's the one biscuit that everyone has HAD to come back for more. Oh yes, they're that good.

Cheese, coriander, spring onion Quesadillas

Tanya's thoughts:
I've always loved quesadillas and have experimented in the past with these but this is the best recipe for them ever. Such a good combination of flavours and a good vegetarian lunch/dinner. Always good as my mum is a vegetarian. This is another recipe by.....James Oliver (how did you guess?) http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/quesadillas-with-guacamole And this is the one photo I was disappointed with - it doesn't look great but believe me tastes fantastic - have put my photo next to the one that was in Jamie's book - see practically no different?? :p


 









James's verdict:
(I'll ask him later, he's too busy geeking it up :p)

Kat's Popcorn Bday Cakes

Tanya's thoughts:
Who said that good food presents itself? I'm not entirely sure I agree with that (ask me on a day when my food looks like a shambled lump on a plate and I may say something different again). As these were simple fairycakes that I added some buttercream to on top, then stuck marshmellows on. I had a light bulb moment when in Asda to use the bags you get from the pick n mix for the 'popcorn bucket'. ANYWAY they looked fab and Kat couldn't be more pleased. In fact that link's nicely to.....:

Kat's verdict:
(I'll let her photo speak for itself!) :)

Tomato Soup

Tanya's thoughts:
James's aunt Freda gave me lots of her home-grown tomatoes this summer and so I decided to make Jamie Oliver's tomato soup (from his Ministry of Food book). Compared to some soup recipes this was really easy but what made the meal (for me) was the croutons I made to do with it. I had some leftover ciabatta bread and to be honest it wasn't very nice when fresh. But I roasted it with olive oil, some s&p, and dried basil. And it transformed the bread to the best croutons even which complimented the soup no end. Lovely on an autumnal evening.

James's verdict:
"Better than Heinz"

Banana bread

Tanya's thoughts:
Oh god I'm boring :p Another Tanya classic I'm afraid. Although in my defence, this is a great way of using up leftover food instead of throwing it away. Banana bread is best made with the bananas you have had sitting in the fruit bowl all week which are now black (the blacker the fruit, the sweeter the taste). I follow a recipe that was in a cake book my brother Jason bought me and it's such a good strong reliable receipe. I make it in my load tin and it has always come out well. I sometimes add some chunks of chocolate in if I have any spare (You have chocolate going SPARE? I hear you cry?)

James's verdict:
"Very wholesome" (Yes I think the strain of asking him to verdict 10 recipes in a row has got too much for him)

Melanzane (Aubergines in tomato and cheese)

Tanya's thoughts:
~Wipes the drool from her mouth~. Yes this is one of my favourite dinners. James's mum Sue normally makes this. So I've have made this a few times now and generally follow Jamie Oliver's recipe:http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/melanzane-alla-parmigiana-aubergine but instead of frying/griddling the aubergine slices, I boil them for about 4 mins. This is Sue's method and I think it definitely makes the aubergine less tough and makes the whole texture of the dish become more lasagna sloppy (meant in the best possible way). Would be good to know other people's serving suggestions for this. We normally have it with a green salad, nice bread with plenty of different flavoured oils to dip the bread in.

James's verdict:
"Very tasty."

Eton Mess

Tanya's thoughts:
God just documenting my dinners and puddings makes me realise that I get very attached to recipes that go down well. This is a favourite that I have made and re made for many people. Buts its sooo easy and always popular - in fact only one person didn't like it because he wasn't a sweet fan. Strange boy i know, his loss was James's gain though that night. If James could have his way, he'd be eating this every day. I use the recipe in one of Jamie Oliver's books and the winning, now not so secret ingredients are fresh vanilla and rosewater added into the double cream.

James's verdict:
 "Probably my favourite dessert"

Chocolate profiteroles

 



















Tanya's thoughts:
And I did myyyyyyy way.... Well I subsituted the flour for gluten free and it worked - this doesn't always. So Sue was very happy with me - first tme she'd eaten profitaroles in 20 years apparently! Now there's loads of receips on how to do these - I used a combination of Nigella and Tana Ramsey's receipes as they both had really good tips in. I would say this - when they came out of the oven they were slightly crispy which I was disapointed about. But i left them in a tin overnight (as was making them in advance for lunch the next day) and in the morning they were softer and spongey - the perfect choux pastry texture. Also as they're quite fiddly would recommend making them the day before anyway. Another recommendation - i just melted chocolate and butter for the sauce as per Nigella's recipe but to me it wasn't thick enough - I think I associate chocolate profiteroles with the co-op ones me mum used to buy where it was almost a chocolate icing so may try something different next time. James wants me to make the French version 'Croquembouche'.

 James's verdict:
"very popular, especially with my mother"

Bacon and Parsnip Pasta

 













Tanya's thoughts:
A classic Jamie Oliver recipe. I say classic as I have made this hundreds of times, even James does this one too now. I'm sure all my friends will recognise this too. It's easy to make and really tasty- the parsnip sounds weird but don't let it put you off, it's great, i use a peeler so the slices are really thin. Have even linked it for you: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/parsnip-and-pancetta-tagliatelle-with-pa

 













James's verdict:
"Always a favourite"

Breakfast muffins

 














Tanya's thoughts:
These were great - a Bill Granger recipe and one that should be repeated. Especially as it has loads of fruit in it - banana mashed, apple grated, blueberries, bran flakes and then the strawberry on top (if only that was a cherry as that would have sounded great. But most important factor it uses honey instead of sugar which makes you feel happier knowing you're making something relatively healthy for breakfast.

James's verdict:
"Can't remember as was so long ago, but am sure they were tasty"


Thanks James :/