Erm's Photo Diary

[piX128]

:flirt2: needing my sunglasses here to stop the dazzle of your fab new shiney !!!

wow... bloody brilliant is what club 30 is

xx

 

[dabhand]

Well done Erm, you are doing brilliantly, and such an inspiration! I even had a go at making a veg curry cos i'm always inspired by the fact you use very little meat. I love meat but I am realising there's more to veg's than just steamed carrots and peas lol..

 

[Lottie12]

Thanks for that Ermintrude . Guess I knew that lasagne wouldnt work as ravioli. Just didnt want it to be true !! Love the link too. Will def. look that up again, the chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives is one I will definately make

Thanks again and have a good evening

 

[ermintrude]

Wednesday 21st Mar Green

Breakfast: Coffee & fruit 1 HEXA
Lunch: Lentil, potato & kale soup
Tea: Potato frittata with pesto & goat's cheese 7 syns for pesto 1 HEXB for goat's cheese
Snacks: baby corn, snap peas, tomatoes, Quorn slices

 

[ermintrude]

Thursday 22nd Mar Green

Breakfast: Coffee & hospital 1 HEXA
Lunch: Bit of lentil, potato & kale leftovers, bit of pearl barley leftovers, pack sweetfire beetroot, pack pineapple
Tea: Morroccan chicken <2 HEXB for chicken, COLOR="Red"]3 syns[/COLOR] for harissa & honey
Snacks: Babybel light 1 HEXA, Quorn slices

 

[mariavon]

Ooh that looks and sounds fab x

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[moonwatcher]

Is that the Moroccan Chicken from the latest BBC Good Food Mag? What did you think of it?

Oh and I agree - photos would be fantastic (although I can understand where you're coming from about not wanting to put them out there). Your weight loss is pheeee-nommmm-in-al though and we would love to ooh and aah over some piccies of your success!

 

[ermintrude]

Is that the Moroccan Chicken from the latest BBC Good Food Mag? What did you think of it?

Oh and I agree - photos would be fantastic (although I can understand where you're coming from about not wanting to put them out there). Your weight loss is pheeee-nommmm-in-al though and we would love to ooh and aah over some piccies of your success!

Yeah it is. As was the frittata the day before last and the beef tonight Its Good Food mag week! Next week will be Denis Cotter week. Then I might get the Ottolenghi and it will be Ottolenghi week! :8855:

Tbh it wasnt all that great The sauce itself was quite nice, (scooping it up at the end after you'd managed to get all the dreary veg outta the way ) But generally it was just bland. A load of veg and chicken bunged in to a pile of sauce.

But it is a quick one pot, tinned everything and quick stuff like this, just doesnt really have time to spread the flavour. I stuck some garlic, tomato puree, stock cubes and stuff in to liven it up a bit but at the end of the day it just tasted like courgettes and chickpeas with a load of sauce chucked on top tbh, wont bother again. 'Healthy' Beef Wellington tonight!

 

[moonwatcher]

Yeah it is. As was the frittata the day before last and the beef tonight Its Good Food mag week! Next week will be Denis Cotter week. Then I might get the Ottolenghi and it will be Ottolenghi week! :8855:

Tbh it wasnt all that great The sauce itself was quite nice, (scooping it up at the end after you'd managed to get all the dreary veg outta the way ) But generally it was just bland. A load of veg and chicken bunged in to a pile of sauce.

But it is a quick one pot, tinned everything and quick stuff like this, just doesnt really have time to spread the flavour. I stuck some garlic, tomato puree, stock cubes and stuff in to liven it up a bit but at the end of the day it just tasted like courgettes and chickpeas with a load of sauce chucked on top tbh, wont bother again. 'Healthy' Beef Wellington tonight!

I usually agree with your views on taste/spices etc., so I was interested to see what you thought of it, because I made it last week and we thought exactly the same - bit bland, courgettes boring! Same as you - won't bother again!

 

[Mrs E-H]

Yum yum yum, your food looks delicious as always xx

 

[ermintrude]

Friday 23rd Mar Green

Breakfast: Coffee & fruit 1 HEXA
Lunch: Salad, Finn Crisp with Laughing Cow 1 HEXA, 1 HEXB
Tea: Mussaman curry 13 syns for coconut milk, <1 HEXB for oil
Snacks: Baby corn, snap peas, tomatoes, Sweetfire beetroot, 3 Lindor mini eggs 5 syns

Wow. Just W - O - W. :drool:

Again, it looks nothing special but its a totally new taste to me, dont know what it is as I've had all the ingredients before, but together they make something totally new. And again the salsa totally, totally makes, it, brings it together, gives it that zing! Lime juice. coriander, fennel, lemongrass. Wow. This guy is God!

I used real coconut milk as I wanted to check out the real recipe, but I think it would be fine with some milk & yoghurt next time.

 

[ermintrude]

Saturday 24th Mar Red

Breakfast: Coffee & fruit 1 HEXA
Lunch: Picnic - salad, snackie veggies, hummus <1 HEXB, Quorn slices, Sweetfire beetroot, cheese 1 HEXA, strawberries, fruit juice 5 syns
Tea: "Healthy" Beef Wellington - 2.5 syns for gravy, about 20 syns for pastry, <1 HEXB for oil
Snacks: None

The gravy for this was just divine, probably the best gravy I've ever had! :drool:

But the rest of it - not worth sacrificing the syns tbh. It's still a lot of syns even substituting filo, I wouldn't bother again, I've tried recipes for the real deal that were much better than this and Id rather just pay the syns tbh. Also something in it tasted really strong of ANISEED, yuk, I think it musta been the dried mushrooms

 

[evilpenguin]

It looks delicious if it's any consolation! :drool: Sometimes the syns for SW versions of things aren't worth it, because the real thing is usually only a couple of syns more. Brown muffins, for example, are about the same syns as white ones. What's the point?!

That curry looks really good too - can we have the recipe please?!

 

[ermintrude]

It looks delicious if it's any consolation! :drool: Sometimes the syns for SW versions of things aren't worth it, because the real thing is usually only a couple of syns more. Brown muffins, for example, are about the same syns as white ones. What's the point?!

That curry looks really good too - can we have the recipe please?!

It wasn't a SW recipe, tbh I hardly ever do SW recipes as theyre cr@ppe and just repeat themselves about every 3 months :sigh: It was a BBC Good Food one, sounded really good, but you cant replace a good pastry with filo and the mushroom duxelle was also crappe compared to other versions Ive done that have no reason to be heinously bad or anything.

The curry was a Dennis Cotter one. OK here's the recipe but I think this'll have to be the last one I do of his or I'll be done for copyright! So all I can say is after this one BUY, BORROW OR BEG THE BOOK!!!

It sounds complicated but its not really, there just a lot of stuff but basically you whizz it together in a few batches and youre done, pretty easy:

Mussaman curry

Serves 3 (it's meant to serve 4, but hey... )

For the dry spice mix:
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp white pppercorns
- 5 cloves
- 5 cardamon pods, seeds only
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 dried bird's eye chillies

For the wet mix:
- 115g shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and sliced
- 2 green chillies, deseeded
- 2 stalks lemongrass

For the curry:
- 1 tin coconut milk (about 30 syns, depending on brand)
- 200g new potatoes, quartered
- Florets of 1/2 a medium cauliflower
- 200g green beans
- 1 tin chickpeas, drained
- about 500ml pint veg stock (you probably wont need all of it)

For the salsa:
- 1/2 a cucumber, deseeded & finely chopped
- 2-3 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 tomato, deseeded & finely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
- juice of 2 limes

Method:
- Put the potatoes on to steam until tender
- Whizz all the dry spice mix in a spice grinder, whizzer or P&M. Set aside.
- Put the wet mix ingredients and a little water in a processor and whizz to a paste
- Fry the wet mix paste in Fry Light over a medium heat for 5 min
- Add 3 tbsp of the dry mix and cook for 2 min
- Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil
- In a large pan, fry the cauliflower and green beans in Fry Light for 8-10 min until starting to soften a little
- Add the curry sauce, drained potatoes, chickpeas and enough stock to almost cover
- Cover and simmer on a low heat for half an hour or until tender
- Meanwhile, mix together the cucumber, spring onion, tomatoes, coriander and half the lime juice to make the salsa

Serve with rice on the side. Spoon the salsa over the top and sprinkle the remaining lime juice over to finish.

DIVINE!!! :drool: You really MUST serve it with the salsa, it absolutely makes it!!! :drool:

I've hardly edited this recipe, so all I can say is buy this book or ask for it as a pressie!!! :

 

[evilpenguin]

Thanks for that Erm!! Lol I can't stop giggling at the thought of you being arrested for copyright, like that guy who's wanted in America for sharing television shows online

Going to try this soon, it sounds so good. Do you think it would be good with some chicken in there, or would that be too much?

 

[Shirleen]

It wasn't a SW recipe, tbh I hardly ever do SW recipes as theyre cr@ppe and just repeat themselves about every 3 months :sigh: It was a BBC Good Food one, sounded really good, but you cant replace a good pastry with filo and the mushroom duxelle was also crappe compared to other versions Ive done that have no reason to be heinously bad or anything.

The curry was a Dennis Cotter one. OK here's the recipe but I think this'll have to be the last one I do of his or I'll be done for copyright! So all I can say is after this one BUY, BORROW OR BEG THE BOOK!!!

It sounds complicated but its not really, there just a lot of stuff but basically you whizz it together in a few batches and youre done, pretty easy:

Mussaman curry

Serves 3 (it's meant to serve 4, but hey... )

For the dry spice mix:
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp white pppercorns
- 5 cloves
- 5 cardamon pods, seeds only
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 dried bird's eye chillies

For the wet mix:
- 115g shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and sliced
- 2 green chillies, deseeded
- 2 stalks lemongrass

For the curry:
- 1 tin coconut milk (about 30 syns, depending on brand)
- 200g new potatoes, quartered
- Florets of 1/2 a medium cauliflower
- 200g green beans
- 1 tin chickpeas, drained
- about 500ml pint veg stock (you probably wont need all of it)

For the salsa:
- 1/2 a cucumber, deseeded & finely chopped
- 2-3 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 tomato, deseeded & finely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
- juice of 2 limes

Method:
- Put the potatoes on to steam until tender
- Whizz all the dry spice mix in a spice grinder, whizzer or P&M. Set aside.
- Put the wet mix ingredients and a little water in a processor and whizz to a paste
- Fry the wet mix paste in Fry Light over a medium heat for 5 min
- Add 3 tbsp of the dry mix and cook for 2 min
- Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil
- In a large pan, fry the cauliflower and green beans in Fry Light for 8-10 min until starting to soften a little
- Add the curry sauce, drained potatoes, chickpeas and enough stock to almost cover
- Cover and simmer on a low heat for half an hour or until tender
- Meanwhile, mix together the cucumber, spring onion, tomatoes, coriander and half the lime juice to make the salsa

Serve with rice on the side. Spoon the salsa over the top and sprinkle the remaining lime juice over to finish.

DIVINE!!! :drool: You really MUST serve it with the salsa, it absolutely makes it!!! :drool:

I've hardly edited this recipe, so all I can say is buy this book or ask for it as a pressie!!! :

Hmmm reckon your aniseed flavour is in the fennel seeds I would cut that by half hunny!
But I'm going to have a go at making this. Must also go to the World Food shop and pick up some spices.

Really struggling with curry recipes the SW curry book makes everything taste of cloves or yogurt!
I like it no hotter than a Madras but with lots if flavour.

 

[dirtydancing]

the Mussaman curry looks divine thanks for the recipe will have to try it out.

 

[ermintrude]

Deleted as Ive posted it twice cos a) the forum is AWOL and b) Im a nutwit

 

[ermintrude]

Thanks for that Erm!! Lol I can't stop giggling at the thought of you being arrested for copyright, like that guy who's wanted in America for sharing television shows online

Going to try this soon, it sounds so good. Do you think it would be good with some chicken in there, or would that be too much?

Nah, I think its only fair tbh, if you wrote or drew something or made a piece of music and then people kept splashing it about for free all over the internet rather than buying the book you wouldnt be happy. Most authors/musicians get naff all as a percentage anyway So I think its OK to post a few recipes to encourage people to buy the book if they like it, but not cool to start to post the entire damn book Or if youve heavily edited a recipe its OK too i think as long as you reference the original it came from. (I mean morally OK obviously - at the end of the day its against the rule even of this forum to be copying and pasting recipes like there's no tomorrow )

Chicken, mm tbh I think its just so nice on its own I dont see the point adding chicken just for the sake of it. There are endless Massaman recipes out there you can try, this one just works so well as it is I dont see any need to add or change anything. Its a bit like having the most divine creamy luxury ice cream ever and someone saying "d'ya wanna flake with that?" Or BOGOF on champagne - getting a can of Stella free :8855:

Its from a veggie cookbook btw so all the flavours are put together to let you taste the flavour of the veggies. (Look away now people who throw up at the thought of S*p*free )

 

[ermintrude]

Hmmm reckon your aniseed flavour is in the fennel seeds I would cut that by half hunny!
But I'm going to have a go at making this. Must also go to the World Food shop and pick up some spices.

Really struggling with curry recipes the SW curry book makes everything taste of cloves or yogurt!
I like it no hotter than a Madras but with lots if flavour.

Ahhhh is that what it is! Hmmm I do have fennel seeds all the time (two or three times a week) but usually whole, not ground up. [EDIT: Ah no we've got our posts crossed - the aniseed flavour was the mushroom duxelle in the Wellington. The Massaman curry was gorgeous, even including the fennel seeds! Could not fault it! Also that mix makes more spice base than is used for the recipe, so you're not actually putting 1 tbsp of fennel seeds in the curry ]

Gah, SW recipes are dire, Im not resubbing to the mag. Just got this month's and it will definitely be my last one ever.

The Massaman is not like a Madras or anything, different kind of curry altogether really. More about the flavour of the spices and veggies. Im normally a pickle/tomato-based curry girl, this was very different for me but dee-lish, deffo making again

Not sure, I do remember having these dried mushrooms before and not liking them but I cant for the life of me remember why, iun fact thats why theyve been sitting in my cupboard this long at all