Despite the horrendous weather we’ve had (who stole the summer?), we’ve been enjoying settling into the new house and the company of having friends over even though entertaining has become rather more complicated since the arrival of Baby Piglet.
Before, I was known for extravagant feasts and for spending hours in the kitchen slaving away to make the perfect Thai dish or a 6 course meal with different flavoured palate cleansers. I thought nothing of trawling Lyon for the right ingredients and then making rice powder from scratch so to make authentic foreign cuisine for my guests (I never cooked French).
But lately I’ve been looking for easiness. Mr Piglet and I lived on ready meals and frozen pizza for two weeks when we moved into the house with Baby Piglet and since we’ve been grabbing a bite to eat here and there. Not exactly what you want when you’re nursing a baby.
So I’ve been looking for quick and easy healthy options which will allow us to eat better and also impress our guests with something they haven’t tried before, without the need for me to spend hours in the kitchen.
Zero points for presentation!
Lazy Melon Starter
I have borrowed this recipe from a friend who did it for us and I have already done it twice for two separate lots of guests in the last week and each time they adored it! It is cheap, seasonal and a spin on the original melon parma ham combo.
For 4:
2 x melons
1 chorizo
Balsamic vinegar
Porto (optional)
Chop the chorizo sausage into small cubes and gently fry in the balsamic vinegar. Add a splash of Porto if you wish. Leave to simmer for the sauce to reduce and become syrupy.
Cut the melon in half and de-seed the centre.
Serving options: Either pour the sauce mixture into the centre of the melon and serve the half melons as they are with the sauce, or cut the melon into smaller portions (with skin removed) as drizzle sauce over (as shown in picture). I served the melon as shown in the picture as we were 5 in total and not huge eaters!
Do you have any quick and easy recipes that I can try? Do share!
You can “cook” this for us – it looks delicious!
will do
Sounds odd, but everybody loves it – guests frequently ask for it again. It is unbelievably quick and easy to make
Mix one jar of mint jelly (NOT sauce), with one goats’ cheese log and two eggs. You can beat until smooth, or just mash until lumpy.
Make or buy shortcrust pastry – that’s up to you, and line a tart tin or, which I prefer, individual tartlets. Fill the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven until set and just beginning to colour.
This recipe is SO flexible – you can leave out the eggs if you want to, or add more; the proportion of mint jelly to cheese can be varied. Don’t add any other ingredients, it doesn’t need them. It gives a very refreshing, pleasantly tangy result. Serve cold. Frightfully moreish.
It does sound odd, I will give it a try! Do you know if you can buy mint jelly in France?
As far as I know, only from English shops.
But it’s quite easy to make, loads of recipes on the web. And lots of fun making it with a baby on your hip.
I tried this and loved it….only to move away from goat cheese log supplies…
Yup! They have it in the exotic food section of Auchan in Le Pontet so I am sure they will have it in a big supermarket near Lyon!
If you grill a whole bunch of aubergine slices and red peppers at the same time (put some tomatoes and garlic in some of the aubergines, dash over a load of olive oil, you can use them in many different ways.
Do you know the BBC Good Food website? It is my favourite at the moment and has super seasonal and quick recipes, even 10 minutes curries.
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/
Thanks for the link Sarah. I’ve had a gander and there’s some great stuff on there!
I’ll have a shot at grilling the aubergines etc but will have to find the grill setting on my oven – will be fun as all the settings have worn off the dial!
That looks delicious! I would of never of paired melons with chorizo! Great idea! Thanks for sharing! I’m new to blogging here and I just love how supportive and creative everyone is! If you have time, could you please check out my blog? http://shecooksandheeats.wordpress.com/ If you have any, I would love some advice
Hi Kat, thank for stopping by! I’ve been blogging two years now but don’t get to spend as much time as I would like to online now that Baby Piglet is here – I love the online community, the majority of people are so supportive!
I’ve had a look at your blog and subscribed, it’s good! We have two things in common already: bacon & cupcakes! OMG! Also, I cook and my DH eats
Keep up the good work.
That looks really good. I think I’ll try it with our sucuk which is as close as we can get to chorizo.
Not easy entertaining with a baby is it?
No it’s not! We never quite know what time we’re going to manage to sit down or serve different courses but I’m learning to adapt! It’s teaching me not to be so rigid
One very hot pepper ( like in the long hot chilies)+ one bell pepper,+ 2 or 3 tomatoes+2 garlic cloves, everything chopped and pan fried in 2 spoons of olive oil + salt and some origano= the best dip ever. You can pour it over pasta, meat,bruschetti , boiled or fried or grilled potatoes, cheese, vegetables, practically on anything ! It is ready in 10 minutes and all it takes is that you like spicy food. I do – I have at least 1 or 2 very hot peppers with every meal, so about 4 a day and I grow my own because I love them super-spicy !
Sounds lovely Rosabell! Thanks for suggesting. Am going to have a go at this in the week but may have to hold off on the chilli a bit as I’m not sure Baby Piglet will appreciate it?!
Yes, less chili for her, that would be wiser !
You can add up instead a bay leaf if it happens to have it around and it will add more flavour!
A couple of cans of tomatoes.
A chicken cut up into pieces.. or just thighs or breasts.
Garlic and oregano and thyme or whatever you want.
A bag of Gnocchi.
In a baking pan, put the garlic, then the tomatoes, then the gnocchi then the chicken on top of it all.
Roast/bake for about 45 minutes or til everything is looking brown and juicy.
You will have Roast Chicken with Gnochhi in Tomato sauce and everyone will think you are amazing.
I think Mr Piglet will marry me again if I do this – he loves Gnocchi (and so do I)! Have just sent him a text and asked him to buy Gnocchi at the store
This looks delicious and I will add some points for making my mouth water at the sight of it! Easy/breezy? Fresh squash, eggplant, onions, mushrooms… whatever you have on hand or is seasonal. Make a light vinagrette (balsamic vinegar + olive oil + seasonings); chop vegetables, put in a bowl and sprinkle with vinagrette. Roast in oven on medium heat, turning once to brown. We have this once a week and make enough for leftovers the next day. I love it even lukewarm or cold.
Bises, and congratulations on le petit piglet.
Genie
Thank you! My photography and presentation skills need working on but if it made your mouth water at least the food looked good
I love balsamic vinegar and roasted vegetables but never thought of putting the vinegar on before roasting, what a fab idea! Am going to give this a go next time I have some left overs.
Big sweet red peppers….char them, remove the skin, cut into wide slices and while they’re still warm lay anchovy fillets over them with a twist of black pepper and some olive oil.
Nice immediately or later…but don’t stick them in the fridge.
This will have to be one I try with guests as I don’t eat anchovy fillets (they’re too salty for me) so not sure I’ll like them but I love the sound of red peppers – maybe I could do one with tuna?
Get the ones in olive oil….or if you buy the salted ones treat them like salt cod and put them in a colander under running water, then dry them.
I don’t like over salty stuff either, but the ‘bite’ of the anchovy against the pepper is what makes it work.
Never thought of draining and rinsing… Will try as I do eat them on some fingers.