Together by Annabel Langbein

In a bid to liven up our dinners I have set myself a wee cookbook challenge. Each week I will make all our dinners from one cookbook. Starting the challenge with Annabel Langbein's latest cookbook, which she has put together with her daughter Rose, I am keen to have a go at the Balsamic Mushroom Burgers - even though I am not sure I will like vinegar on my burger.

Forgetting to buy garlic means I have only one missing ingredient and I will substitute egg-free chipotle aioli with ordinary mayonnaise. So I am quietly confident that this recipe may turn out just like Annabel intended. All I have to do is bake the mushrooms, fry the haloumi, toast the buns and assemble all in 20 minutes. And I do just that with the only hiccup occurring when assembling as I put the burger fillings on the top half of the bun. Of course I don’t actually realise this till I look at the photo and by that time the burger is eaten. Simple, tasty and the balsamic vinegar works really well with the other flavours. A really easy weekday recipe.

With our cold weather set to continue I am going for a book with hearty recipes next.

Enjoy!

Posted by Veronica

Catalogue link: Together

One Pot: 60 super-speedy recipes by Robin Donovan

Any cookbook that says 'super speedy' and 'one pot' in the same sentence is meant for me. Combine that with ingredients that I mostly have and photographs that show the recipe at its different stages could make this a cookbook I would actually use. 

So I started with the Ham and Leek Risotto.

The recipe is segmented into 30 mins to go; 20 mins to go and 5 mins to go so I am quietly confident that I can do this recipe in the allotted time.

So I omit the leeks, substitute onions for shallots, peas for beans and parmesan cheese for some rather smelly hard cheese at the back of the fridge and I am on a roll.

Except the knife is in the clean but not emptied dishwasher so I digress and empty it while I wait for the rice, which means instead of 7 minutes cooking it gets 12 mins.

Then I need parsley which means going outside (in the pouring rain) to pick from the garden which adds on another 5 minutes. Then I decide to stick to the recipe and use the same pot which adds another 5 minutes for cleaning the pot.

Forty-five minutes later, dinner is served. Verdict: entirely eatable, even if I did put too much parsley on top. Plus there was enough for leftovers.

For my next endeavour I quite like the sound of Stuffed Steak.


Posted by Veronica

Catalogue link: One Pot: 60 super-speedy recipes

The homecoming by Rosie Howard

Looking for something with a sip of romance, a slug of friendship and a bevy of interesting characters? Welcome to the Sussex market town of Havenbury. In this the first in a new series; Maddy returns to the village to help her old friend Patrick recover from a heart attack and run his pub.

Maddy is quickly drawn into village life when she becomes involved in setting up a bespoke consortium for the local artisans. Throw in the love interest with local psychologist Ben and you have all the makings of contemporary cosy novel. A most satisfying read.

Reviewed by Veronica

Catalogue link: The Homecoming