As I mentioned in this post, I've been making a conscious effort to use my cookbooks and where better to document my progress than here! This time I worked my way through Mary Berry's Absolute Favourites. I'm a massive fan of Mary's bakes but I'd never tried her cooking recipe - turns out they're just as good! Full of hearty, traditional classics, the cookbook is perfect to run to when you have guests who aren't really to experimental - parents! Each dish was so simple to make and the instructions were easy to follow. Nothing was too overwhelming to try. There's still so many recipes I want to try. I wouldn't necessarily say they were mid-week dishes because they're not quick but I'm sure over time you can speed them up again. So, what did I end up making?
Cottage pie with crush potato topping
A classic in my family, cottage pie is always a crowd pleaser. But this time Mary added crushed potatoes instead of mash which made a welcome changed to a traditional British meal. I didn't follow the recipe exactly as I cooked my mince meat first in a pan with all the ingredients before popping it in the oven with the topping. The recipe says to cook it in the oven for 90 minutes but I've just never made it like it. It still came out perfectly tender the way I did it. The red wine gave the meat such a wonderful, addictive flavour. Served with steamed veg and cabbage, it was a great winter warmer when the cold weather hit. I'll definitely be pulling this one out the bag again over the next few months.
Sticky chicken
Out of everything I cooked, this was my least favourite. But it went down well with everyone else! I should have left the sticky sauce to caramelise for longer so it wasn't as runny but I was too scared about burning the pan. I paired it with rocket drizzled in olive oil and a bowl of potato wedges because what's a dinner without any carbs? I don't think I'd make this again.
Meatballs in tomato and basil sauce
I'm still dreaming about this sauce. So simple yet so blooming delicious. I'd make the sauce on its own and keep it in the fridge for other dishes. Admittedly this was a major faff as I attempted it on a Monday night after I got home from work late and we didn't eat until after 9pm. So don't attempt it on a week night. But once I bit into that first meatball, it was well worth the effort. The meatballs wasn't the most flavoursome I've had but it was all about that sauce. So skip the meatballs and just cook ALL the sauce.
Roasted sausage and potato supper
My household is a massive fan of sausages so I knew this was going to be a winner before I event tried the recipe. The recipe only called for peppers and onions but it didn't seem enough for me so I pumped for a whole host of different things to help make it more substantial. Aubergines, courgette and tomatoes all made the cut. The great thing about this is when you've chopped everything up, you literally leave it in the oven and forget about it. It only takes about 30 minutes to cook. Definitely one to add to my list of things to make again!
Pork stroganoff
Not the most photogenic of dishes but one of my favourites. I have such a soft spot for stroganoff, it's always so simple to make and tastes great too. This recipe was no different. I loved the addition of paprika - although I would personally have added more. Next time I'm going to serve this alongside mash for the ultimate comfort meal.
This book is for my better half who has two or three other Mary Berry's books. She is very satisfied with the book and has attempted a couple of formulas. Not at all like a great deal of cook books like my last session work in thesis writing service , this is very sensible. Just thing is the formulas are for 4 or 6 individuals which implies you need to utilize half of the amounts cited for only two.
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