4 recipes i have loved this month.
When I’m not making coffee, I love to cook. For me it’s more than just the finished product. It’s the playlist you blast when chopping veg, and the sounds of people exclaiming “Ooooh that smells nice” to the aroma of fried garlic and onions. I love the creativity of it all; the (sometimes completely random) choosing of the spices, picking out brightly coloured ingredients, eating in a restaurant and thinking ‘how could I do this at home?’. Time seems to fly by when I’m cooking, and it’s one of the few occasions in my day, when I’m not scrolling through hours and hours of short, mind numbing videos, in a hypnotic state. I am in my kitchen, with my slippers and my comfort hoodie, cooking up a storm, without the distraction of a random American stranger telling me why I shouldn’t be wearing leg warmers in 2023.
As much as I love to experiment and get creative with my food, I always try to use a recipe as a guideline and foundation to my cooking. These are my top picks from this month, and are recipes that I have tried and tested, and have loved. You will start to see a theme emerging in these… I have really been craving winter warmers with this bleak weather, but all of the dishes are bright, colourful and the pictures are mouth watering!
Brussel Sprouts with a Balsamic Dressing and Parmesan
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/balsamic-parmesan-brussels-sprouts/
Brussel sprouts are certainly not just for Christmas. I really fancied some sprouts this month, but wanted to give them a little twist to differentiate from the festive dinner spread. These were the main event for my meal, instead of being the bit on the side, so I popped them on a bed of cabbage and leeks, also dressed with the Balsamic dressing.
Be generous with the parmesan for this one, as the balsamic dressing is rather sharp, so the parmesan works brilliantly to soften the dish. I popped on some pomegranate seeds, which make everything better, and tucked in. This was a surprising crowd pleaser, and the leftovers are perfect for bubble and squeak!
2. Roasted Harissa Cauliflower Salad with a Tahini Dressing
https://georgieeats.co.uk/harissa-roasted-cauliflower-salad/
Now, I have never really been that big into cauliflower, but after this salad, I’m definitely a convert! It was perfectly nutty and rich in flavour, with the subtle spice of the harissa poking through the tahini, and the roasted chickpeas offering a different texture. I had mine with a packet of wild rice, which worked really nicely, almost making it more of a curry.
For this, I would say roast those chickpeas until they are super crispy, as mine were slightly too mushy, making them sort of blend into the cauliflower a little. This would be great for a side dish at a dinner party, maybe accompanied by a roast chicken!
3. Chorizo and pea risotto
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chorizo-pea-risotto
This is the recipe that I always return to when I fancy some proper comfort food. It’s definitely a winter warmer, and is so rich and flavoursome that you can’t help but go “mmmmmmmm”. I’ve made this a dozen times, and the recipe has never failed me. It’s definitely not one of those dinners that you can just bung in the oven and call it a night. It requires a little more effort, but if you are willing to stand and stir for twenty minutes, you’ve got yourself a winner!
No notes for this one. You’ve got to try it!
4. Hasselback Potatoes stuffed with Taleggio cheese and a Sage Dressing
https://www.mob.co.uk/recipes/christmas-hasselback-potatoes
Now, I’m cheating a little bit with this one, as this was a Christmas dish, however it was so good I needed to include it! These potatoes were the most creamy, yet crispy little treats and were perfect for dinner party picky bits, or to go with a roast. The sage dressing was gorgeously garlically, and the cheese was the perfect accompaniment as it was not overpowering but still packed a punch.
I had never cooked with taleggio before, and although it melts like a dream, it’s a stinker! If you would rather go for a cheese that won’t stink out your fridge, then maybe you could try brie or even a camembert!
