These Preserved Lemons are quite possibly the easiest preserving recipe I have made to date. They are absolutely delicious and I love using preserved lemons in tagines, roast chickens or sliced into thin slices for the top of a fresh seasonal salad. They originated in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions but are now popular throughout the world.
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Creamy Leek Cheese and Walnut Tart
My son sat down at the kitchen table the other night, took one look at his plate and shouted ‘I hate quiche!’ , I said that’s ok I know you do but its not quiche its tart, ‘try a little and leave the rest if you don’t like it’…ten minutes later his plate was licked clean and he was requesting more!
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The Best Crispy Duck & Seasonal Slaw
This is just the best combination for a delicious weekend lunch or as a light evening meal with a few baby potatoes. The crispy duck goes really well with my seasonal slaw of celeriac, brussel sprouts and apple
It is cooked simply in the cast iron pan in butter and seasoned lightly with salt and pepper, it really doesn’t require much else to taste delicious. The skin is crisped slowly in the pan and finished off in the oven with a short period of rest afterwards before slicing.
The crunchy slaw is drizzled in a dressing made of mustard, raw honey (for that additional health boost), olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
You could add a drizzle of sauce and perhaps a red currant or other tart fruity sauce would be delicious here and it would make it slightly more photogenic also but I ask that you try the simplicity of this dish first and I’m sure you will enjoy it!
I really hope you enjoy this crispy duck recipe, it certainly is a new favourite for me!
Love
Seasonal Slaw Recipe
Celeriac (approx 200g)
Brussel sprouts (approx 200g)
Sweet Apples x 2 med
1/4 cup of olive oil
1tsp of mustard
1tsp of honey (preferably raw)
A squeeze of a fresh lemon
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp of chopped walnuts
You can add more veg and apples to increase the quantity.
Slice the celeriac up in chunky pieces, peel the first layers off the sprouts and cut the apple into chunky pieces also.
Run the celeriac, sprouts and apple through the food processor to shred.
Combine the olive oil, mustard, honey, lemon and salt and pepper in a glass and whisk to combine. Adjust the ingredients in the dressing to suit your own tastes if you prefer.
Drizzle over the slaw and mix through, add in the chopped walnuts for extra crunch.
Duck Recipe
Duck breasts with skin
25g of salted butter
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 160oc and melt the butter in the cast iron pan on a medium heat.
Season the duck breasts skin side down generously on each side and place into the heated pan, bring the heat up a little gradually and cook for a few minutes each side.
Place the breasts into an oven proof dish and cook for a further 10 mins.
Leave to rest for 5 minutes and slice and serve immediately alongside the slaw.
This dish is best eaten in the colder months and with locally grown organic ingredients if you can source them. It’s great to support smaller businesses and I would highly recommend a visit to your local farmers market or farm shop if you have one.
Spicy Bean & Vegetable Curry
This is my fave spicy curry recipe and it’s so quick and easy to make. I love the blend of freshly grated tomatoes, spices and chillies to make the sauce and the fluffy basmati base soaking up all of the delicious flavours. I have made this recipe spicy as I like hot food but you can adjust it to your tastes by adjusting the chilli quantity.
I love to serve my curry up with some fermented foods, pickles, sauces etc. These are great for dipping any additional elements like poppadoms and naan bread in. In this recipe I have used the fermented ‘Tumeric and Black Pepper Kimchi’. It’s the perfect addition to this dish for taste and of course for the numerous health benefits that fermented foods may have.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Ingredients
4 tbsp of Coconut Oil
1tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
a pinch of asafetida
6 medium tomatoes grated (or blend in a small blender)
1/2 tsp of tumeric powder
1 tsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of ground cumin
3 fresh sliced hot green chillies (adjust for more or less heat!)
2 finely chopped cloves of garlic
1 tsp of grated fresh ginger
1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of coconut oil
A selection of sliced fresh vegetables
A tin of beans of choice, kidney beans work really well!
Heat the coconut oil on a medium heat in a large flat pan, I use my large flat cast iron casserole pan. Once the oil has melted add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafetida. When the mustard seeds start popping add in the fresh tomatoes. Stir, then add in the tumeric powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, chillies, garlic, ginger, sugar and salt. Leave simmering on a low heat.
Heat up the coconut oil in another pan and add in the sliced vegetables, beans and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Season and then add into the simmering curry sauce. Cook gently for 20 minutes and serve with freshly cooked basmati rice. I use my pressure cooker settings for fluffy white basmati rice, a rice cooker works well too.
Serve up with pickles, sauces, breads and poppadom. Enjoy!
If you enjoyed this recipe you can add your email below to be kept up to date with the release of future delicious recipes!
Love Angie x
Moroccan Chickpea and Spinach Stew
I love the textures of this Moroccan spiced dish! The silky spinach, chunky butternut squash and chickpeas cooked in a delicious spicy tomato based sauce. It’s absolutely divine and works well with the cous cous and additional peas to soak up the flavours.
Ingredients
8 tomatoes
Olive oil
2 tbsp of coconut oil
2 chopped onions
3 chopped cloves of garlic
1 stick of celery finely chopped
1tsp of tumeric or freshly grated
1tsp of cinnamon
1tsp of chilli
2 handfuls of chopped butternut squash (I used frozen)
8 cubes of frozen spinach
A handful of red lentils
1 tin of chickpeas (400g)
A bunch of coriander
1lt of vegetable stock
2 cups of cous cous
1 cup of peas
Salt & pepper
Start with the tomatoes, cut in half and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a medium heat for 30mins until soft. Blend into a puree and set aside for the sauce.
Heat the coconut oil in a large pan, I like to use my medium cast iron oven proof pot. Add the onions, garlic and celery and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the spices and cook gently stirring through the flavours.
Add the vegetables, lentils, chickpeas, vegetable stock and tomato sauce (made previously). Season with salt and pepper and the coriander and slow cook on a low heat for at least 30mins. I like to finish it off in the oven for 20mins.
Boil 3 cups of water in a separate pan and add the frozen peas, cook for a few minutes. Add in the cous cous, season with salt, take off the heat and add a lid to the pan. Leave for 10mins to finish the cooking process.
Serve the stew over the top of the cous cous and sprinkle with some additional coriander.
Enjoy!
Cheesy Kale & Walnut Pasta
We love pasta in this house and this comforting cheesy dish is a favourite family meal in the colder months. I have used delicious garden fresh kale, runner beans and spelt spinach pasta. Its a comforting but healthy dish!
The recipe can also be made dairy free by using olive oil and dairy free cheese.
You could also use spinach instead of kale and mix up the green vegetables a bit to create a variety of different meals. The walnuts add additional healthy fats and crunch but pine nuts would work well too.
I have used oat cream for the sauce because it is my fave cream but you can also use plain single cream for this recipe too.
I hope you enjoy experimenting with this dish!
Ingredients
2 tbsp of butter or olive oil
2 handfuls of chopped fresh kale
2 cloves of chopped garlic
2 small cartons of Oatly oat cream (about 2 cups) or single dairy cream
Grated cheddar cheese (about 2 handfuls)
Nutmeg (about 1tsp)
S & P
Pasta
Green beans or other green vegetables
Gently heat the butter or oil in a large pan and add the chopped garlic. Stir in the chopped kale and cook lightly for around 5-10 minutes.
Add the pasta to boiling water with the chopped green vegetables, I used runner beans because that’s what was in season at the time but use whatever you fancy here, green beans or broccoli also work well.
Add the oat cream to the sauce and heat gently. Add in the grated cheddar, around two handfuls, but please use more or less if you prefer. It really does depend how cheesy you like it. My kids like a cheesy pasta and if it means they will eat more green vegetables then I am happy with that.
Heat the cheesy creamy sauce until all the cheese has melted. Add the walnuts and season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.
Drain the pasta and vegetables and add to the cheesy sauce, mix through and serve.
My kids like to add extra Parmesan to the top but I prefer it without. A green salad on the side goes really well too with some cucumber, tomatoes and other salad items.
Enjoy! x
Apricot Chicken & Spinach Pilaf
This delicious one pot slow cooker wonder is so easy and quick to throw together. The chicken and rice go really well with the fragrant spices, sweet apricots and velvety super green spinach. I dolloped a tablespoon of fresh live yoghurt on the top and it worked really well. Plates were empty so I’m guessing it was a hit with the kids!
I like to use chicken thigh meat because I think it has better flavour, especially from an organic chicken. You could also use chicken breast if you prefer but the breast does create a slightly drier texture. I also like to use the unsulphured dried apricots which are darker in colour and sometimes brown rice for this recipe.
You will need the following ingredients:
Ingredients
1 tbsp of coconut oil or ghee
1 finely chopped onion
4 chopped garlic cloves
2tsp of cumin seeds
2 tsp of ground coriander
2 tsp of tumeric
1 cinnamon stick
A small handful of chopped dried apricots
1 1/4 cups of basmati
3 chopped up chicken breasts or 6 chopped up thighs
700ml of vegetable stock
3 cubes of frozen spinach
Live yoghurt to serve
Set the slow cooker to high (2 -3hrs cooking time) or low (4-5 hrs cooking time) depending on the length of time you have to cook the meal. I like to prep my meals late morning or around lunchtime so that everything is ready for dinner around 5pm.
Add the coconut oil or ghee to the slow cooker and let it melt. Add in the onion, garlic, spices and chopped apricots and give it a stir around to coat everything evenly.
Add the chopped up chicken meat into the rice mixture and stir evenly to coat in the spices, apricots and rice. Add in the hot stock, frozen spinach cubes and stir once more.
Pop the lid on and leave to cook for the required time as above – high setting (2 -3hrs) or low setting (4-5hrs).
Serve with fresh greens or other seasonal vegetables and add a dollop of live yoghurt on top to serve.
Two week meal plan
Another easy and affordable meal plan for two weeks!
The kids are back at school this week so I made this meal plan with that in mind…hearty meals for hungry tummies, easy and quick to make with my new baby in the background and really affordable!
I’ve also included a small tour around the larder cupboard (because its clean for once) and a peek at our bulk snacks order for school lunches and break snacks!
Check out the food haul in the video below and the meal plan is at the bottom of the page! 🙂
Meal Plan
Below is our two week meal plan, I hope it gives you some ideas for new family recipes to make.
Week 1
(vegetarian) Monday – Broccoli & Cauliflower bake with Pasta
(Fish) Tuesday – Fish Tacos
(Vegetarian) Wednesday – Vegetable Stir Fry & Tofu
(Meat) Thursday – Spicy Chicken
(Vegetarian) Friday – Baked Potatoes – Tuna & Cheese, Chicken Mayo
Saturday – Free
(Meat) Sunday – Beef Brisket in BBQ Sauce
Week 2
(Vegetarian) Monday – Vegetarian Lasagne
(Fish) Tuesday – Fish & Spinach
(Vegetarian) Wednesday – Pad Thai Meal Kits
(Meat) Thursday – Venison Stew
(Vegetarian) Friday – Dhal, rice & naan breads
Saturday – Free
(Meat) Sunday – Lamb Stew
With Love
Cheesy Sweet Potato & Bean Quesadilla
In an attempt to hide some extra vegetables in my kids meals I made these super delicious sweet potato and bean quesadillas with lots of melted cheese. I added jalapenos and chopped chilli for the adults and they also work well with dairy free cheese.
They literally take a few minutes to prepare and are great served up with a healthy side salad including all the family faves, tomato, cucumber, lettuce and dressing.
Once all the ingredients are packed into the slow cooker these are so quick to put together quickly at meal times and are great for busy families.
Ingredients
3 chopped cloves of garlic
1 finely chopped onion
A bag of frozen sweet potato or two large diced up small
1 can of pinto beans
Cumin seeds
Salt & pepper
Cheddar cheese or dairy free cheese
Coriander, chilli, jalepenos etc. for toppings
Tortilla Wraps
Add the garlic, onion, sweet potato, beans, cumin and S&P to the slow cooker, cook on low for several hours or until sweet potato is soft enough to mash.
Heat up a large flat frying pan or I personally use my electric pancake maker. It’s so easy to use. Place one tortilla wrap in the pan or pancake maker, sprinkle with cheese and add a few spoons of the cooked sweet potato mix.
Mash the sweet potato and beans onto the tortilla, add grated cheese and another tortilla on top like a giant tortilla sandwich and leave to cook for a few minutes until the cheese has melted. Flip over for a quick browning on the other side.
Serve and slice with a pizza cutter into quarters. Serve with salad.
Malaysian Prawn Soup
I love this recipe its one of my absolute faves! It is so super easy to make, you can follow the recipe below or click on the video link below to view it in video. The instructions are really simple and easy to follow.
Ingredients
1 medium bowl of small prawns (about 300-400g) Tofu for a vegetarian substitute
4 noodle nests
1 can of coconut milk
1 liter of vegetable stock
2tbsp of coconut oil
small bowl of garnishings (chopped cucumber, spring onions, fresh chilli)
salt & pepper
1tsp of paprika
1tsp of ground cumin
1/2tsp of ground coriander
1/2tsp of tumeric
1tbsp of lemongrass puree
1 small piece of ginger
5 peeled shallots
5 cloves of garlic
5 fresh chillies of choice
1 red pepper chopped
1 head of broccoli chopped
Blend the chillies, garlic, shallots, ginger lemongrass and all spices in a small blender with a little water. Heat the coconut oil in a non stick pan and add the blended spice mix, brown lightly. Add the stock and vegetables and cook the vegetables on a medium simmer. Add in your prawns or tofu and stir through and cook through for a few minutes.
Add the coconut milk and cook through until dissolved. Serve on top of the cooked noodles and garnish with the chopped cucumber, spring onions and chillies.
The Wee Larder by Angie Milne 