What's everyone eating this week?

[Amyw Profile]

What a lovely meal, Amy. The all-in-one chicken dish, I will make very soon. I've never used fennel with chicken, but I suppose that tarragon which I often use has a similar flavour.

Thanks Renee, yeah good old chicken goes with everything doesn't it. Yesterday I used one of the chicken thighs in a Caesar salad with giant croutons. Cheated with the Hellmann dressing though.
Another cheat today of M&S lasagna ravioli with chilli pesto stirred through and garlic bread on the side.

[WhitefieldFoodie Profile]

Got in tonight with no idea what I wanted, ended up making some chicken kebaby things, with a chickpea curry and some brown rice.

Quite tasty for a 30 minute knock together.

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[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

did someone mention the spiralizer .... honestly, it's one of the most used gadgets here, Joan.

Amy, I know I have fennel seeds in the cupboard, but I was thrashing through the little herb containers and could not find them for toffee.
Very frustrating.

Well done on the rapido cooking, Foodie.

Just salmon and green veg here yesterday.
Baked in the oven with dill and lemon. I'm struggling for cooking ideas at the moment.


You feeling any better, Renee?

[Renée Profile]

What a great quick meal, WF!

Chicken has to be my favourite meat and it's so versatile, but I really like the flavour of the chicken to come through.

I'm about the same, Gill, but not too bad, really. " thrashing through the little herb containers". Yes, I am always doing that, so today, I will sort out all my herbs and spices!

[Amyw Profile]

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Had a beautiful lunch yesterday with my mum in a little pub overlooking the river. I had a fantastically cooked piece of cod with sauté potatoes, salad and a pea and mint puree. My mum had sea bass with pesto, sauce pitatoes and mange tout. We then shared a salted caramel brownie. And I managed to successfully post a photo here haha. Only a handful of crisps with dip in the evening so ravenous today.


Today for the first time in forever , I'm going to make myself a cooked breakfast. One rasher of bacon, one sausage, egg tomatoes and mushrooms with a slice of toast. That should keep the hunger pangs away. I've got pork and chorizo meatballs out the freezer. Depending on how hungry I am later, I'll either have them with pasta, or maybe with a dip, cheese and couple of crackers .

[Renée Profile]

What a lovely meal you had with your mum, Amy and aren't those little pubs which have good food the best places to go to for a nice lunch? I would have chosen the sea bass, because it has such a lovely flavour.

I have been completely off food for the past three days, because I haven't been well, but I really enjoyed the fried bread sandwich, with a fried egg in the middle yesterday. I'll get my act together today and have some pasta with pesto and maybe some tuna added, with grilled tomatoes.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

'Freezer casserole' here last night using up two small monk fish tails, squid rings & two pieces of cod.

Basically, a favorite gutsy tomato & chorizo sauce made with anchovies, capres, chilli, smoked pimento & judions in which the squid simmered until soft, then served with the monkfish & cod sitting atop & alongside wild rice - very good it was too - & a bit more space in the freezer!

[Renée Profile]

Lovely meal, Lush! I had to look up judions, which seem to be similar to butter beans.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... se-recipes

[Joanbunting Profile]

We had a fabulous lunch out today. The highlights for me were the calves sweetbreads with asparagus, confit beetroot and radishes and the dessert which was wild strawberries in a rhubard juice with a Sechuan pepper ive cream.

Tomorrow we have freinds coming for Koulibiac followed by apricot and nougat clafoutis

[Renée Profile]

What a lovely lunch, Joan!

I love Koulibiac, but started making it without the rice and instead made cream and wine sauce. I had to let it cool down, of course and then put it on top of the salmon.

Today, I'm cooking a chicken breast portion with skin on, sitting on top of stuffing made with lemon thyme in a covered Pyrex dish and in the halogen oven. I have know idea how it will turn out!

[Lusciouslush Profile]

I had to look up judions, which seem to be similar to butter beans.

I just luuuurve judions Renee & could easily live off them, they are a bigger, fatter & meatier butter bean with attitude - I soak & cook a whole lot of them & freeze to use as & when - so many dishes they are good in places like Delicioso online _ I used to cart a whole of them back from Calais in the good ol' days before the 'jungle'.

[Sakkarin Profile]

Seeing Joan's mention of sweetbreads, I've never seen them in a butchers here, other than a local game butcher that sold frozen ones, long since closed. My question is where do all the British sweetbreads end up, presumably for every slaughtered cow there are several of them?

The frozen ones I bought I never plucked up courage to cook, and I think it's been said since that frozen ones are rubbish anyway. Still on my bucket list.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Sakks - as with many things, you have to ask the butcher if he has any - there is so much they keep out back & don't put on display for some reason.

[Renée Profile]

Thanks for the Delicioso name, Lush. I'll order some and it's good to know that they can be frozen after soaking and cooking. I always add garlic to the soaking water. I suppose other flavourings could be added too, such as herbs? I have seen jars of Gigantes beans in Sainsbury's, but that will be an expensive way of buying them.

[Renée Profile]

Lush, the beans in Delicioso are ready cooked, so I looked on Amazon and found the dried beans there. There were so many now "unavailable". I'll have another look through tomorrow and order some.

[Renée Profile]

I made the Moroccan chicken with preserved lemons and olives tonight and it was so delicious.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Renee, Delicioso do the dried beans - in 1kg bags - I just looked in case they'd stopped doing them ( slight panic on my part!) BUT what a price hike!!! Can't remember exactly how much I've paid for them - I always do a good stock-up shop to justify the carriage - but it was nowhere near the price they're asking now! I'll have to have a look around too & keep you posted - I'm down to one 500kg bag of my French stash although I have some in the freezer - it's too near my comfort zone!

I don't add flavourings to the soaking water - it doesn't make any difference, but whilst they're still warm after cooking that's the time to add whatever you fancy - they literally suck up the seasonings if left to stand for as long as you can - always add oil to them tho' keeps them from sticking - I usually add garlic or chilli oil as a base & when you freeze them definitely make sure you've put plenty of o/oil or the others to keep nice & separated.

Mmmmmmm judions

[Amyw Profile]

That looks beautiful Renee, very tasty.
Cooked a roast chicken with the usual suspects, lemon, rosemary etc.sides were nice though, lemony roast new potatoes, peas braised with pancetta and white wine and tender stem broccoli with lemon and Parmesan. Sometimes some nice sides can help elevate a really simple meal.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I looked at the price of Judions and thought

My guess is that the wet weather Spain had summer 2016 may have affected the harvest?

[Renée Profile]

What a lovely meal, Amy and the delicious sides must have made it very special! Roast chicken has to be my favourite.

I haven't ordered the beans yet, Lush, but did have a quick look online the other day and I'll have another look. Yes, you're probably right about the weather in Spain causing the price increase.