Tried and tested: BBC Good Food beetroot falafel

I've recently been loving beetroot, and today I woke up with inspiration to turn the beets I had in the fridge into beetroot falafel. Courtesy of BBC Good Food, I found a recipe that I could do without having to pop to the shop. I had 250g beetroot available so I halved the recipe. Here's what I did.

250g raw beetroot, peeled and grated
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 egg (should have been half an egg but who's got time for that)
50g breadcrumbs (I toasted the end off a frozen loaf before whizzing to crumbs, one slice was exactly the right amount)
400g can of chick peas
1 tsp peanut butter (supposed to be tahini but I don't have any)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. I chopped the onion and put it on to fry in the olive oil. I did this as gently as I could to just soften the onions and to buy myself some grating time...
2. I grated the beetroot on a box grater. Took ages and was incredibly messy. But fun.
3. I added cumin to the frying onions, and continued to fry it off for a further minute.
4. My breadcrumbs were already in the mixer where I'd used the blade to create them, so on top of the breadcrumbs I added the chick peas, peanut butter, egg, onion and cumin mix and then two thirds of the beetroot.
5. Next came whizzing time. This took forever - I think because my mixer isn't designed for such hardcore work and I perhaps should have split the batch into two. I blended until it came to a paste (with lots of poking to get it there).
6. I put the remaining beetroot in a big mixing bow, then added the paste and stirred together.
7. The mixture was very wet, so with moist hands I rolled out little falafel sized balls and placed them on a baking sheet lined with parchment. The recipe said it made 10 (as I had halved it) but I ended up with 14.
8. Last thing to do was to grease the tops of the falafel - which I did by spraying Fry-Light on to each one. Simple and easy and cleaner and making another utensil bright pink.
9. The falafel then went into the oven on 180 degrees (fan oven) and I sat patiently until they looked done, which was about 30 minutes.

I was a little disappointed when they came out of the oven, I expected them to be slightly golden which they weren't. Next time I might try shallow frying them. However, I've done a taste test and they're super; really earthy like all good beetroot based things should be, and delicately spiced. Next time I would add more cumin but I am rather partial to it.

Right, I'm off back downstairs to partake in a couple more. There are 14, after all.

"Jack and Jill", James Patterson

Last month I read "Jack and Jill" by James Patterson. It's another in the Alex Cross series - I've got through books 1 & 2, and this is number 3.

This book focussed on two main plot lines; the murder of children from a school near to Alex's house, and the murder of prominent political figures in Washington with what appears to be a threat to the president.

Now that I've read a couple of the Alex Cross series, I am seeing them as "episodes" of a story and I like that there are constants throughout - about Alex's life, family etc.

I find this series incredibly easy to read, and hard to put down. As with "Kiss The Girls", the short, suspense-filled chapters (averaging around 3 pages each) make it almost impossible to walk away from. I kept thinking "I'll just read this next chapter" and before I knew it had consumed half the book.

I wasn't particularly keen on how faultless Alex and his children seemed to be this time around; I know every parent loves their children, and that Alex is our hero, but it would be great to see some contrast in the characters to make them more realistic.

This book was entertaining, good escapism and I'm certainly keen to keep reading the rest of the series despite the minor criticism I mentioned. Perhaps a little break will do me good, so I've just picked up "Divergent" by Veronica Roth for a change in pace and topic.

Salwar tunic into summer dress (part 2)

Ta-dahhh!

Not quite the final ta-dah but nearly there! The shot above is the neckline once I'd turned it out - not too shabby for a first attempt at a) altering a pattern, b) pattern matching (of sorts) and c) making a shaped neckline!

The dress has progressed quickly this weekend. The steps I've done are understitching last week's work, joining the side seams, joining the back seam, inserting a zip and overstitching the neck. And of course, checking after all this time that it fits.

Joining the side seams... hmmm. I said in the last post that this fabric was printed wonky, and you can seriously see it when the side seams were joined. I have decided to not worry, and remember that many retailers out there would find this perfectly acceptable. Next time I'm going to be more alert about the quality of my bargains. Anyway, let's move on.

I decided to embrace a different way of inserting the zip than the instructions advised. I used a method in my grey skirt with pockets which made so much more sense to me than the New Look instructions. I found my new method less stressful and I prefer the finished look. I stitched up to the notch on the bottom of the skirt, and backstitched as instructed. Then, I changed my thread and bobbin to something very noticeable, and changed my stitch length to the longest possible straight stitch. I zoomed up the back of the dress from the notch to the neckline; effectively tacking the back together. Then I pressed my seams open with the iron, and laid my zip over the tacked line, making sure the zip opening lined up with the "seam" I'd created After pinning this in place (by inserting my board between the front and back of the fabric, so I only caught the back in my pins), I sewed round the zip as neatly as possible.

Then came time to unpick the tacking stitch. This is quite laborious on a long zip but it's worth it.

Here's my overstitched neckline. I'm really pleased with the outcome, and when I tried on my dress it looked neat and crisp.

The dress isn't finished yet. I need to hem it (after I've decided how long I want it to be) and then it'll be ready for its final photo and its first outing. Right now I'm putting the sewing machine away for a little rest, and going to sample the brownie I made first thing this morning... (recipe to come as soon as I've perfected it!).

Salwar tunic into summer dress (part 1)

About a year ago my Mum introduced me to a really great way to buy fabric. She took me to some shops in the Normanton area of Derby and introduced me to Salwar fabric sets. In a Salwar set you get 3 large rectangles of fabric - one for a tunic, one for trousers and one as a scarf (often the scarf is already finished for you). They're a really great way of getting hold of fabric at a low cost, and because they're designed to be a set they co-ordinate beautifully - so you could make a skirt and a top and know they'll go well together without being the same head to toe. Some of the tunic pieces come with a printed neckline design (some are very fancy, some more plain), so it becomes an incredibly simple way of making something pretty unique.

Last time I went shopping with Mum I bought this set; it set me back a mere £14! I'm turning the tunic piece into a dress; the New Look 6095, version B. I'm using the neckline printed on the Salwar fabric and adapting the pattern a little to enable me to do that (eek!).

The print on this fabric is really wonky! I'm trying to make the best of it, but have never pattern-matched before, or adapted a pattern's shape... so it's a great challenge!

I started by washing and pressing the fabric to eliminate any additional warping or shrinking. Then I folded the fabric along the central line of the printed neckline, and lay my pattern pieces over the top. Though the pattern neckline and the printed neckline are quite different to each other, I cut out the fabric as per the pattern and planned to deal with adaptations later. I did the same for the back of the dress, although it was much easier; all I had to worry about here was lining up the print at the bottom of the dress to the front, so that I have the same amount of print showing at the hem. This is where the wonky comes in - there's no way it's going to match up because of how it's been printed! The middles match up but the sides sure as heck don't!

Facings came out of the same piece of fabric. With the front facing I cut it straight across at the bottom so that it comes down further than the V-point I'll be sewing in/cutting out.



I followed the New Look pattern entirely for the first part; darts, shoulders, attaching facings to each other and then to the main dress fabric around the arms. When it came to attaching the facings to the neckline, I hand-stitched along the fabric's neckline in a contrasting thread to hold it in place and make it really visible. It gave me opportunity to mark out how I was going to blend the two necklines to create my finished garment.

When I got to machine-sewing I started from the back right (as it will be when I'm wearing the dress) and stitched along as normal until I got to the shoulders, and then I followed my hand stitched line and the print. Once I'd done the stitching I cut down the front of the V to take out some of the bulk and make sure my corners would pop out nice and crisp. Then came the big reveal as I turned the fabric through (bringing the sides through the facings) to see what the outcome was.

And that's the topic of next week's post!

And my dog photo-bombed this last picture... 

Smooth talking

I recently decided that my diet could be improved. Not that I don't enjoy what I eat, far from it, and indeed I am healthy, but I realised how many days I go without the full range of vitamins and nutrients I should be having daily. In a bid to fix this, I started making myself breakfast smoothies.

Here are some of the recipes that have worked for me (and some tips about what doesn't work for me!). Bear in mind I'm not a nutritionist and have applied the standard "make it up as you go along" principle to my recipes as I do for anything else...

I've been having my smoothies where possible with a coffee by its side, and the combination is dynamite for brain power and motivation (with no slump when the caffeine wears off, wow!).

Glorious greenie

1/2 cup pineapple (from the freezer)
1/2 a banana (frozen or fresh)
4 strawberries
Big handful of kale
About 200ml almond or soya milk (but eyeball it to the right consistency - you can always add more but you can't take it away!)

Blueberry delight

1/2 cup pineapple (from the freezer)
1/2 a banana (frozen or fresh)
1/4 cup blueberries
Big handful of kale
200ml almond or soya milk (as above)

Fruity Popeye 

(pictured above)
1/2 cup pineapple (from the freezer)
1/2 a banana (frozen or fresh)
4 or 5 strawberries
Big handful of spinach
200ml almond or soya milk (as above)

I've been preparing all of these with my hand blender. I put the fruit into a plastic beaker (the one that came with the hand blender) and then have just used the blend attachment to mix everything together. It's not a perfectly smooth end result but the texture is really pleasant, and makes you feel like you haven't been diddled out of a "proper" breakfast.

Tips

Freeze as much fruit and veg as you can, chopped and ready to use. I freeze pineapple in chunks (makes a 75p pineapple last weeks), bananas are amazing peeled, sliced and frozen, and spinach and kale work as well from the freezer as they do fresh. I've also used frozen berries on occasion but while they're in season I've been adding fresh ones from the fridge. I tend to put the frozen fruits in my mixer jug as soon as I get up, then shower, dress etc and go back to make the smoothie at least half an hour later, allowing some defrosting to take place. Oh and keep the prepared fruit in freezer bags, not a box; significantly aids retrieving as much as you want without breaking your fingers.

Make sure you add enough liquid. One day I didn't add very much and the the smoothie coagulated before my eyes. Hard to suck up through the straw and the gelatinous concoction nearly put me off the whole affair. I've been alternating between almond and soya milk - based on availability and nothing else. I prefer almond milk but soya is no hardship and my local Co-op stocks it.

Lob in a bit of what you fancy. Trusting your taste instincts is underrated. If you think it'll work it probably will.

Greens make the smoothie richer. Don't know why, they just seem to. None of my smoothies have tasted green or veggie either. Weird.

Don't leave the smoothie alone for too long. Another coagulation issue could arise. Or the dog could steal it.

Use a straw. Not only does it give you something to stir it with as you get down it, it makes it feel like you're at a kids party too!

Raspberry salad dressing

Oops! It's been a really long time since I wrote any posts, and for that I apologise! Things have been pretty busy recently and I haven't had time spare to invest in my hobbies and interests (booooo).

I managed to do a couple of things today that have delighted me in the kitchen department, and I thought I'd share one of them. I'd share the other but who really wants to see my online shopping order? No, didn't think so.

The item worth sharing is this; raspberry salad dressing. Oh my. Quite the unexpected delight.

It really is this simple:

1 tablespoon of raspberry jam (yes, you heard me)
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Splash of water

I put the jam in an empty and clean old jam jar, then added the balsamic, screwed the lid on tight and shook it like a Polaroid picture (that's "vigorously", to young folk out there). Then I added a splash of water to loosen the whole thing, and hey presto, salad dressing enough for two meals. I'm keeping the second serving in the jam jar in the fridge for tomorrow lunch time.

I would recommend making homemade croutons to go on top of whatever salad you choose to dress with this, because you're going to want to soak up every last drop. It was delicious. It was sweet, but didn't taste like someone had put pudding on dinner.

Greek meatballs

A little while ago I bought loads of chicken thighs and froze them. They seemed like a good idea at the time, but really I missed chicken breast too much and they got ignored in the bottom drawer. After last week's salad extravaganza I had some halloumi left, so I decided to see if I could turn the halloumi and chicken into some sort of Greek delight. It was a success. Here's what I did:

2 chicken thighs, cut into chunks
A clove of garlic
A generous teaspoon of dried parsley
A slice of white bread
One large egg
Half a teaspoon of cumin
Half a teaspoon of cinnamon
A handful of black olives, chopped
500g passata
100g spaghetti

1. I placed the parsley, garlic and bread in the mixer and whizzed until I got breadcrumbs

2. I then added the chicken thigh chunks, as well as the egg, and blended together until the mixture was a consistent but rough texture
3. I scooped out small portions about the size of a walnut and placed them on a plate in a ball form, covered them with cling film and popped them in the fridge.

4. It was at this point I wandered off for a while. Sometimes you just need to walk away and check your Twitter feed.
5. Then I returned and got to work with a frying pan at a medium heat. I popped some olive oil in, and fried the balls in batches until they were cooked through.

6. After removing the balls from the pan, I used the same pan and added the passata, cumin, cinnamon and olives.

7. Once this was heated up, I returned the meatballs to the pan.
8. It was at this stage that I put the pasta on to cook, simmering everything for 12 minutes.
9. Just before the end of cooking, about 2 minutes from serving time, I added the chunks of halloumi to the tomato and meatball sauce. I didn't stir it - I wanted to warm it without melting it into the sauce.
10. I then drained the pasta and added half of the meatball sauce mixture. The remainder of the sauce and meatballs is sitting in a plastic box in the freezer, waiting for my to finish work late one night. Can't wait.

Banana & oat pancakes

I've done a classic "Lucy". Tried out a new recipe and forgotten to take photos. In all fairness, there aren't a lot of photos you can take in 4 minutes without it overtaking what you're doing.

Today's breakfast was banana and oat pancakes. Health food, if you will.

1/2 cup oats (I've gone all American, sorry)
1/2 a banana, ripe
2 egg whites - and frankly a bit of yolk because it slipped in

I whizzed these simple bits in my hand blender, and then poured the "batter" in 3-inch discs onto a hot dry non-stick pan. Simple as that. They take about a minute on each side - you can lift up the edge and see if the underside is golden, before flipping it onto the other side for the same treatment. It made 4 little pancakes which were plenty filling, let me tell you.

They are fat free and flour free and all that healthy-what-not. Which means they don't taste like normal pancakes, however... if you're trying to be a bit healthy and you want a full tummy without the guilt, they are really very agreeable. I will admit to adding a tablespoon of golden syrup to them after serving, as they don't have much "pep" - but I might try adding some fruit to the mixture next time (after I've been to the shops) for a healthier topping.

Monthly Menu - March

Week One
Monday - Sausage plait
Tuesday - Asparagus, tomato and spinach quiche (courtesy of Mother In Law)
Wednesday - Basil and tomato pasta
Thursday - Giardiniera pizza at Pizza Express
Friday - Goan Fish Curry (takeaway at my Mum's)
Saturday - Dinner out at Shakesby's in Horncastle - spiced parsnip soup, rib eye steak and raspberry meringue roulade
Sunday - Spicy fruity couscous

Week Two
Monday - Spaghetti bolognese
Tuesday - Butternut soup
Wednesday - Bacon salad "thing"
Thursday - Fish plait
Friday - jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn mayo (Weight Watchers, no less)
Saturday - Sausage plait (new family favourite, by all accounts)
Sunday - roast chicken dinner

Week Three
Monday - chicken fajitas
Tuesday - meatloaf (courtesy of Mother In Law) - it was GOOOOOOOOD
Wednesday - baked potato with tuna and sweetcorn mayo (again)
Thursday - breaded chicken tenders, baked potato and a massive crunchy salad
Friday - take out
Saturday - steak night!
Sunday - roast chicken dinner with homemade Yorkies

Week Four
Monday - Thai green curry
Tuesday - chicken, asparagus and halloumi with crackers
Wednesday - cauliflower fritters
Thursday - Greek chicken meatballs and spaghetti
Friday - curry night!
Saturday - buffet at a party. Woohoo.
Sunday - curry night!

Stung by the Great British Sewing Bee

Alright, more like bitten by the GBSB bug, rather than stung by the poor little bee!

The lovely people at Minerva Crafts - www.minervacrafts.com - tweet along with the Sewing Bee (which is on Tuesday nights on BBC2 at the moment) telling you, amongst other things, which patterns the sewers are using. It makes it really, really hard for me to not buy the patters they're referring to. So this week I gave in and placed an order. I went for New Look 6189 (which was one of the patterns being used in the GBSB) and Simplicity 1696 because this looks very similar to a pair of trousers I currently wear very frequently to the office.

Until they arrive I've no idea what sort of fabric I'm going to use, how much I'll need or what other bits and bobs I need to get my hands on, but that doesn't stop me being very, very excited! I've a feeling these will need some effort to fit, so I may well get hold of a load of cheap fabric from somewhere that I can make some mistakes on, and then make them for real once I've worked out how to get the pattern to cover my bottom properly.

I love reading!

I love reading but often don't make time to do it. It's one of those things that I forget just how much I enjoy until I start doing it again. I've read quite a few books this winter, and thought I'd share some thoughts on them.

Kiss The Girls, by James Patterson

I've just finished this. What an amazing story-teller James Patterson is! I was reading this because I wanted something with realism but that wasn't normal life, and also wasn't one of the fantasy books where being a good person guarantees you the perfect job and the perfect relationships. The second book from the Alex Cross series fitted the bill perfectly. It's structured in lots and lots (over 100) of really short chapters, each about 2 and a half pages long. The story is fast-paced and urges you to read more, and with the chapters being short you can easily think "I'll just read one more"... and before you know it you've read a book in a week. Very enjoyable thriller. I've bought the next three books in the Alex Cross series; that's how good it was!

Silver Lining's Playbook, by Matthew Quick

I bought this because I had heard the film was good, and was in the mood for something with a challenging topic (mental health, in this instance). I really, really enjoyed the book. It's incredibly short - I read it in a weekend (although I did little else really). I loved how the book made me feel for the main character even though he was quite frankly completely bananas! The characters are completely unique, like nothing else I've ever read, and though the story isn't plain sailing it does have a wonderful crescendo. I watched the film as a result of reading the book and enjoying it and.... well, they've changed fundamental parts of the story! The father is completely different, and there's another character who is completely, utterly wrongly presented in the film... I won't ruin the story for you but I would recommend reading the book over watching the film. It's Tropicana With Bits compared to the film's Robinson's Squash. And that's an oscar-winning film!

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbriath

This book appealed because I'd read Casual Vacancy and thought it would be as good. I was really disappointed! The story is about a private detective who is hired to work out if someone's death was a murder or suicide. The book just didn't keep a pace suitable for that kind of story. The story and the way it was written was approachable, but for me it lacked drive and excitement.

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

"Woah, didn't see that one coming". That's pretty much what I thought when I finished reading this! I was absolutely stunned at the way this story made me feel about the characters involved. It's engaging, exciting, confusing and excellent! And  you won't believe the ending!

Books I've loved but read quite a while ago:

Before I Go To Sleep, by S J Watson (su-PERB)
The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins (there's a reason the trilogy is popular, and was made into a film!)
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (hilarious and you can really identify with Mindy)
Life Of Pi, Yann Martel (awesome book, much better than the film)
Casual Vacancy, by J K Rowling (very readable book for grown ups, a rarity!)
The Island, by Victoria Hislop (a beautiful story that makes you appreciate life)

Books I've enjoyed but probably won't pick up again:

Girls In White Dresses, by Jennifer Close
The Husband's Secret, by Liane Moriarty

Basil and tomato pasta

A couple of weeks ago I found some exciting pasta in Aldi - basil and tomato flavoured farfalle. Stripy pasta, no less! It's green and red striped, and was too good to miss. I kept it simple and served it with a tomato and mascarpone sauce and basil for garnish, topped with parmesan. Once cooked the colours looked a little more washed out, and honestly I couldn't taste the apparent flavours (maybe because of the sauce I added). Still good pasta though!

Isn't it pretty!

Sausage plait

Poor man's Beef Wellington or luxury sausage roll? You decide!

400g pack pork and apple sausages - about 6 fat sausages

1 roasted red pepper from a jar, patted dry with kitchen paper

1 large egg

½ tsp chilli flakes

2 tbsp tomato purée

flour, for dusting

250g ready-made puff pastry

1. Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (mine's a fan). Line a baking tray (so much easier to wash up than a greased tray. 

2. Remove the meat from the sausage skins by snipping off the ends, then squeezing the sausage meat into a bowl. It's really quite fun.

3. Cut the pepper into small pieces. Break the egg into the cup, beat with a fork, and save 2 tbsp for glazing. Add the red pepper and remaining egg to the sausage meat with the chilli flakes and tomato purée. Mix - I recommend using your hands because once you've squeezed the sausages you're in the mood for some mess.

4. Sprinkle some flour on the work surface and roll out the pastry to about 30 x 30cm. Put the pastry on the lined baking tray.

5. Spoon the filling down the middle of the pastry in a sausage shape – leave a little gap at the top and bottom (about 3cm).

6. Cut the pastry at a slight diagonal, on either side of the filling, into 1.5cm strips, the same number each side. Brush the pastry all over with most of the saved egg.

7. Tuck the top and bottom edges of the pastry over the filling. Now we're making a faux plait - starting at the top, lay the pastry strips over the filling, taking one from each side, to cross like a plait. Now brush the top all over with the last of the egg. 

8. Bake for 35-40 mins or until golden.

I served mine with baked beans because I felt like sausages and beans should be brought together once more. I considered adding them to the filling but thought it might be too wet.

This isn't an original recipe by me - I got the bones of it from my mother in law's recipe collection, I believe she tore a page from a cooking magazine some time ago with it - and because of that I'm not sure where it's from.